Love Struck
by Punkpoet69
Summary: No matter who broke your heart, or how long it takes to heal, you'll never get through it without your friends. Troy's long time girlfriends suddenly decides to change her life and leave him out of it. How will he get back in the game? Especially when he finds out his new roommates are really different. (I do not own HSM)
1. Chapter 1

Everyone says that drinking will never solve your problems and in most cases I'd say that I agree, however when shit hits the fan, what time doesn't cure, alcohol will hide from you for moments at a time. At least that's what the bartender told him. Troy's eyes opened slowly, he could feel the soreness in his bones, the groggy feeling pulling at his eye lids as they begged him to go back to sleep. Slowly he sat up coming to realize he was sitting on a couch. Rubbing his bitter stubble growing from his chin he felt the cotton and grime from last night in his mouth.

"You look like shit," a woman's voice said.

His eyes popped open and he looked at a woman who was sitting on the coffee table in front of him eating a bowl of cereal. Her chewing seemed to echo and his eyes zoomed in on her lips. They looked a bit swollen, a bit plump and tender, who was she?

"Are we keeping him?" she said looking over at some one behind her in another room.

"Hell if I know, my fucking brother dropped him off last night," another voice called out.

Troy winced, why were they so loud.

"Do you know his name?" The woman leaned in and poked him with the spoon, "Look alive," she said giving him another tap.

Troy swatted her away from him, where was Chad? Where was Ryan? He looked around lost in something that looked like a loft. He needed a phone, he had to call Angela.

"Check his wallet?" The other voice walked into the room she came closer to him holding a piece of toast and a glass of something up to his face. "Here you need this,"

The woman who was sitting on the couch looked at the wallet sitting on the table and picked it up with her free hand. "Five bucks says he has a rubber in his wallet," she said putting her cereal bowl down.

Who were these people, Troy looked up at the blond who was waving what looked like orange juice in his face. "You still owe me five bucks from the last time?" the blond said rolling her eyes.

"Hey he looked Jewish, and Jewish men are circumcised, honest mistake." The woman had his wallet open and was shifting through it. "Found it!"

"His name?"

"No the rubber," she said holding it up with a smile and then flipping it over to read the back, "ewww, it's expired."

Troy took the glass and then strained to focus on what was going on. "Where am I?"

"301 N. Green city parkway." The blonde said, "Do you remember last night?"

Troy shook his head.

"Says here your name is Troy Bolton?" the other woman said, "Any relation to Michael Bolton?"

"Who ARE you?" Troy said finally before holding the orange juice under his noise to smell it.

"Excuse my friend," the blonde said, "My name is Sharpay, and this is Gabriella. My brother Ryan said that you got into some trouble last night and they had to drop you off here for a while."

"Where's Angela?"

"Who's Angela?" Gabriella said picking up her bowl of cereal again. "Is that your girlfriend?"

"My finance," Troy said looking around the room, "at least I think she still is?" he said lifting the glass to his lips.

"Ouch," Gabriella said bringing another spoonful to her lips.

"Well, unfortunately my egg head brother did not leave you with instructions, so I guess you can hang out here for a while, at least until you don't feel like shit." Sharpay said hold out the toast for him.

"Don't you have a scene today?" Gabriella said getting up from the table; it was then that he noticed she was in nothing but her underwear and a t-shirt. He quickly looked away.

"Yeah, and it's at noon," Sharpay looked at her watch and then back at Gabriella, "I have to get going, tell my brother he's an ass when you see him."

"No problem," Gabriella called out from the other room, "Tell Nick I said hey,"

"Will do," Sharpay said grabbing a bag from the side of a nearby couch, "Kitchen is right back there, and the bathroom is the third door on the left."

"Thanks," Troy said nodding up at her, still confused about where he was or who she was. Taking a bite of the toasted breath he chewed slowly, he couldn't remember the last thing he ate but he was suddenly hungry. "Sorry to brother you,"

Sharpay shrugged, "Hey, its life we've all been there."

Troy nodded and watched as she walked past him and out the front door. Once she left Troy looked over at his wallet discarded on the table, "Where the hell am I?" he said to himself as he put the glass down to gathered his wallet and the foil packet that had been exposed. An expired condom was the least of his worries. Eating the last bit of toast by folding it in half Troy used his free hand to feel around in his pockets for his cell phone. He needed to call Angela.

"Looking for this?" Gabriella entered the room, "I assume this must be yours, Sharpay and I have iPhones." She handed him the small flip phone.

Swallowing the toast he let out a sigh and reached for it but she pulled away just as he was about to grab it.

"I found a post it note tagged to it," she said holding that up as well. She was still in her panties and a t-shirt. Troy did his best not to stare. "Says, do not call Angela, you shit head,"

"Give me my phone." Troy said looking up at her face.

"Are you going to call Angela?" Gabriella said holding the phone closer to her breast.

"If I say no will you give me my phone," Troy responded in an annoyed tone.

"Yes," she said with a shrug.

"Then no,"

She thought about it then shook her head "No."

"No?" Troy said taken aback, "Give me my phone."

"I can't," Gabriella said blankly, "You're going to call Angela,"

"And you care because…" Troy looked at her blankly he'd never seen this woman in his life and she was now standing in front of him half naked and holding his phone just out of reach.

"Well someone took the time to write on this sticky note, seems like the least I could do is make sure you do what it says." Gabriella said opening the back of his phone.

"What are you doing," he said moving to get up only once he got to his feet the room spun and he fell back into the couch with a groan.

"Yeah, I'm shivering with fear," Gabriella handed him the phone and held the battery in her hand. "You get this back when you're in a better state of mind, for now just try not to puke on my side of the couch." Gabriella let out a sigh, "Help yourself to anything in the kitchen and here is the remote, feel free to watch all the tv you want, Sharpay pays the cable bill."

Troy's brow furrowed as he watched her slip the battery in the waist band on her panties and made her way down the hall. His eyes narrowed as he watched her walk away from him the words bite me on the back part of her panties. Who was she? Looking around the room he noticed the very different pieces of furniture, some pieces bright pink others green or purple. It was an odd room but differently a female's space. His eyes paused as she looked up at the mantel to see trophies and pictures. His interest was piqued, slowly he got up from the couch, bracing himself and letting the air filter through him. It was right then that he decided he was never going to drink again.

Getting a closer look Troy noticed the girls in posing with some familiar faces. One photo had Sharpay sitting on top of a man's lap half dressed, biting on her finger. She was in a pink plaid school girl skirt and plaid bra. Troy took a closer look at the picture, which was Dyane Johnson holding up a beer and smiling at the camera. Troy looked at the other picture it was of Gabriella sitting on an elegant stair case in a g-string with tousled hair looking at the camera with desire. Troy jerked as he looked at the rest of the items on the mantle there was a gold penis and a golden stature that looked like a woman vagina.

Troy jerked as he bumped into a nearby lamp and then struggled to catch it before it fell.

Where was he, who were these people, where was Angela and what the hell had happened last night?


	2. Chapter 2

Chad and Ryan appeared around two, ringing the door bell and being greeted by Gabriella, who had gotten dressed in pair of shorts and a pink tang top.

"Your sister says you're an ass," she said upon opening the door and looking at Ryan.

"Where is he?"

"He's sitting on the couch and he's been freaking out all morning." The boys followed her in and she lead them to the couch where Troy was sitting.

"Hey Buddy," Chad said patting him on the shoulder.

Troy jerked from the touch, "Finally," he said getting off the couch. "What the fuck happened last night and why am I waking up at your sisters,"

"Because you almost go arrested," Ryan said with a grin, "If anything we saved you life."

"Yeah, I mean you were so wasted." Chad said with a sigh, "You stood outside Angela's and blasted tonight I celebrate my love for you," Chad winced, "Her neighbor called the cops."

"Really?" Gabriella made a face and look at Troy, "See aren't you happy I didn't let you call her."

Troy let out a breath, "I have to win her back, I don't know what I'll do without her." Troy fell back onto the couch, "We were meant to be."

"Peanut butter and jelly were meant to be," Ryan said sitting on the coffee table. "You're just creepy,"

"Dude she's getting married to someone else." Chad said, "It's over."

Troy rubbed the back of his neck. "How could 8 years just mean nothing?"

"Well I enjoy a good Oprah show just as must as the next girl, but I'm out." Gabriella handed Ryan the battery for Troy's phone. "I have to go get a wax." Gabriella picked up her purse from the other couch and made her way from the living room to the front door. Once it was closed behind her Troy lurched forward.

"Your sister's a porn star?"

Ryan shrugged. "Adult entertainer," he said looking back at Chad.

Chad nodded in agreement. "We needed to stash you somewhere and you don't have a place remember?"

"All my things are still at Angela's,"

"Yeah and she changed the locks." Ryan said picking up a half eaten sandwich Troy discarded earlier. "Face it man, she doesn't want you back."

"So, I've lost my fiancé to another man and now what I have nowhere to live, no money, and no job." Troy held fell back on the couch and his palms rubbed his eyes. "This can't be happening to me."

"I told you working for her father was a big mistake." Chad said clapping his hands together.

Ryan winced, "Is now a good time to tell him about the car?" he said looking over at Chad who rolled his eyes.

"What about the car?" Troy said springing back up. "Where's my car?"

Chad gave Ryan an annoyed glance as he looked back at Troy, "It's been towed."

"You're kidding?" Troy felt a sinking feeling in his gut.

"I accidently, may have, parked it in a loading zone." Ryan said with nervous chuckle.

"What!" Troy sprang up from the couch. "How could you be so stupid?"

Ryan held up his hands in defense, "Well if someone hadn't got shit faced I wouldn't have to take his car to my apartment. You know parking is fucked up past 8, where was I supposed to park it?"

"How about not in a loading zone?" Troy said his voice louder than normal.

Chad let out a breath, "It's alright, we can go pick up the car, and everything will be just fine."

"Right, everything is just fine, except my life has been completely turned upside down!" Troy said using both his hands to wave in frustration. Bringing them back to his head he ranked his fingers through his hair. "I can't stay here,"

"Well, you're not staying with me, I have a wife and a kid on the way," Chad said shaking his head. "I bring you in the mix and I'll never hear the end of it."

Ryan frowned, "Sorry man, I'm between chicks right now, I barely have couch."

"That's gross," Chad said looking his way.

"What I'm a kept man, I'm not ashamed to say it." Ryan grinned and Troy let out groan.

"What happen to Shirley?" Chad said looking at him in disgust.

Ryan shrugged, "Let just say I may have been caught in a compromising position with her secretary."

The front door opened and Gabriella came back into the living room, the boys watched as she reached for her phone she'd left behind on the coffee table. Flipping the phone open she looked through it quickly and then snapped it shut. Looking up she noticed everyone's eyes resting on her. "What?" she said looking around the room with a cocked brow.

Troy took a deep breath and shook his head, "You know what," He said holding up his hands "this is ridiculous, because Angela is going to take me back."

"Oh my god." Chad threw his hands up and Ryan dropped his head.

"Alright, I've heard enough," Gabriella pushed some hair from her face. "You can stay here," Gabriella said with a huff, "There's an extra bedroom in the back, clean it out and it's yours. The rent is due on the fifth of the month."

"I don't have a job," Troy said with a sigh, "And I can't stay here, I don't even know you?" Troy brought a hand up to cover his eyes.

"Look let's go get your car and then we can go from there," Chad said getting up.

"Alright let's go." Troy said letting out a breath.

Gabriella watched as they filed out of the front door an eye brow raised as she shoved her phone into her purse. "He'll be back," she mumbled to herself as she slung it on her shoulders.

When they got to the lot Troy waited in line with Chad, "Are you sure that I can't spend the night at your place."

"We can give it a shot, but I'm serious man you can't stay," Chad said shoving his hands in his jacket pocket. "Taylor would kill me,"

"I just have to convince her to take me back." Troy said with a sigh.

"Dude Angela is history, forget it, work on plan b." Chad said looking out the window to check on Ryan who was watching Chad's car.

"Next," the woman from the window spoke up and Troy jerked as he responded coming up to the window.

"Hello," Troy said with a smile, "I'm here for my car, Dodge Challenger, black with the white racing stripe going down the middle."

"It was parked in a loading zone."

"My idiot friend has a lack of blood flow to the brain." Troy said with a shrug, "Anyway, I'm here to pick it up."

"Well you're already too late."

"Late?" Troy paused as he looked at the woman with parted lips. "Late? What do you mean late?"

"Some woman came by and picked it up this morning," she said looking at the log sheet, "Angela Swan."

"What?" Troy hands hit the glass, "No,"

"Excuse me, do not bang on the glass. Now I'm sorry but she had all the paper work." The woman looked behind Troy at the next person in line. "Next?"

Chad took Troy by the arm, "Let it go,"

"This is bull shit that was my car,"

"Let it go," Chad pulled him out of the office.

Once Troy was outside he let out a breath, "This is alright, it's cool." Troy looked up at the sky then down at the floor, "She going to take me back."

Chad rolled his eyes, "Dude she left you for another man,"

"Temporary lapse in judgment?" Troy said shaking his head, "Fuck, I don't know."

Chad shook his head, looking over to his car where Ryan was talking to some girl. "Let's just get out of here before he makes a kid in my backseat."


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone,

Today is a day for the history books. I'm going to the Kevin Smith book signing to get my book Tough Sh*t signed. I am soooo excited. Dude this man is behind almost all of the idea's I have, he the sole hire of this story right here being created. His podcast are what I listen to all day at work, his movies are classics and omg is he funny. This man … if I wasn't already a happy woman with the man of my life, Jamie, who is above all else my first and last love ,the father to my unborn children, if every goes right my future husband … this man Kevin Smith is my god.

I have been counting down days I have tearing my closet apart for an outfit. Today I will be pictured with my hero, I will have shook his hand and looked into his eyes. I'm star struck, jaw dropped, flabbergasted, wowed, and much more. I mean my number one person is Kevin smith and I'm not sure if you've picked up on this through my stories, but I am also a big Scooby Doo fan. Seriously there is a 5 foot Scooby in my bedroom that Jamie won for me at Six Flags. I also have almost every Scooby doo movie with a huge collection of Scooby doo dolls. My bucket list consists of meeting Kevin Smith and being in a Scooby Doo cartoon.

Today I will have crossed off one. I am SOOO EXCITED!

Troy held out his hands as Taylor piled on blankets and a pillow. "I knew that Angela was no good for you,"

"So I've been told." Troy said in a low voice as he brought his makeshift bed materials closer to him.

"I'll never understand women, who just throw out perfectly good men." She said closing the closet. "You can have the couch for as long as you need."

"Thanks Taylor, I didn't have anywhere to go." He said with a shrug.

"Nonsense, now get some sleep cause tomorrow we have to start reading the classifieds. Get you back to work again."

Troy let out a sigh as he walked into the living room and placed the items down on the couch.

"I'm going to go check on dinner." Taylor walked past him on her way to the kitchen where she shut the door lightly and turned to Chad. "How dare you bring that boy into my house and put me on the spot like that!"

"He needed somewhere to go," Chad said opening up two bottles of beer.

"My ass he needed somewhere to go, Ryan has his own place, why not leave him there." Taylor said in a harsh whisper. "No you bring him here and then you just expect me to cook, and clean up after the both of you like cooking and cleaning up after you isn't enough." Taylor narrowed her eyes. "I am not going to play bare foot and pregnant in the kitchen for you and you're little home boy, you better get him up and out of this house."

"Baby, do me a favor." Chad said lifting his beer to his lips.

"What?" she said crossing her arms over her belly.

"If I ever want to have sex again, remind me of this moment." Chad said turning to leave the kitchen.

"Oh and what is that suppose to mean?" Taylor called out as she placed her hands on her hips.

Chad rushed into the living room, escaping the claws of his pregnant wife."Beer?"

"Yes," Troy said in relief.

"Consider yourself lucky to have escaped marriage." Chad said flopping into his lazy boy chair.

Troy looked around the living room and let out a sigh, "I wanted to make a life together,"

"Yeah well I wanted to make a life too but trust me once that ring is on the finger you can forget all about fun, sex, parties, confidence and you'll be lucky enough if you can get a hard on in front of her after she's ripped the very man hood from your soul." Chad took another swig of his beer.

"Well she's pregnant so something must be working." Troy said with a smirk as he lifted his own beer to his lips. After letting the cold beverage soothe his throat he let out a sigh, "Angela would have looked amazing pregnant."

Chad rolled his eyes, "We need to go and get your stuff," he said leaning forward to reach for the remote.

"And put it where?" Troy said looking back at Chad with a raised brow. "Or have we forgotten I'm completely fucked."

"We'll figure something out," Chad let out a sigh, "Maybe you can just get the essentials for now?"

"Maybe, unless I can talk her into taking me back." Troy looked at the television as Chad flipped through the channels.

"She's not going to take you back," Chad said in nonchalant tone as he kept his eyes glued to the television. He decided on the game and both of them remained quiet for the following hour.

Gabriella swung her hips in time with the music as she tossed her hands up. The club was hot, everyone was feeling the music and she'd been dancing since she got there. Sharpay was off dancing with some guy who been buying them drinks. Her own drink was running short and she frowned as she continued to move to the music. "Hey," the guy dancing with her didn't acknowledge her, then again he probably could hear her. "I'm going to go get a drink!" she called out louder. He shrugged and moved on and Gabriella let out a laugh. "No hard feelings at all."

When she got to the bar she smiled at the man sitting alone. "Hey there," she said signaling to the bar tender. "Do you always sit alone in a crowded room?" flipping some of her hair back she smiled at him with curiosity.

"I don't even know why I'm here," he said with a shrug. "This normally isn't my thing."

Gabriella got another beer and she smiled at the bar tender. "Thanks," she said with a wink. She took a seat on the stool. "So if you're not normal… what are you?" she asked placing her hand on his thigh.

"A guy who doesn't get attention from girls like you," he said with a chuckle.

"Well how about tonight you switch it up and dance with me?" Gabriella smiled as she leaned in close and placed a kiss on his cheek.

The next morning Gabriella rolled over in her bed and smiled as she stretched out, feeling all her muscles. There was a knock on her door, "come in?" Gabriella rolled over to face the door and Sharpay came in.

"Hey." She said after biting an apple.

"Good morning," Gabriella sat up and reached for her shirt from the floor.

"So Ryan called," Sharpay said holding her apple up higher, "said you offered up that back room to Troy?"

"Hey if pays his share of the rent I don't mind." Gabriella said with a smiled.

"Jesus Brie, what is it with you and strays?" Sharpay furrowed her brow. "This guy isn't some puppy you can find a home for."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Relax, he said he find something else anyways." Gabriella said stepping out of bed. Gabriella let out a sigh as she reached for a hair band to put her hair up with. "Why do you care, I thought you said we get another roommate down the line anyway?"

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders, "A female roommate, you know how boys are once they learn about what we do for living."

Gabriella walked past her in her t-shirt and panties. "So I'm guessing you haven't told computer boy what you do for a living?" she said making her way to the kitchen.

Sharpay followed, "His name is Zeke and no I haven't." Sharpay said taking a seat at the table to hover over her paper.

"Does he know your name I mean all he has to do is Google you." Gabriella said rolling her eyes as she poured her glass.

"Look I just don't want him to get any idea's besides it's not like I'm not being who I am with him," Sharpay shrugged. "I'm just not letting him in on the fact that I screw around on camera for a living."

"You to some guys, that's a hot." Gabriella said lifting her glass with a smirk.

"And to others it's a deal breaker." Sharpay let out a sigh, "I don't know how much longer I keep this up."

"Well you know what I think, beside how much of yourself can you be when you hiding who you are." Gabriella said turning to put the carton back in the fridge. "This isn't just a job Pay, it's the way we live, the way we carry ourselves, the way we play…" Gabriella smirked as she turned back to face her. "It's a big part of who we are, just as if you were a ceo of a corporation, a mayor or working retail."

Sharpay lingered on it for a moment, not saying anything but looking into her coffee cup. Her eyes drifted back up to Gabriella. "You know if Troy lives here you're going to have to put pants on." Sharpay said leaning back and lifting her coffee mug to her lips.

Gabriella looked down at her panties. "What's wrong with these, all the important parts are covered?"

Sharpay giggled and went back to her paper. Gabriella began making some toast.


	4. Chapter 4

Troy walked past the cop as he entered the apartment. "Don't you think this is a little too far Angela?" he said looking back at her as she stood behind the cop.

"Get your stuff and just leave Troy." she said crossing her arms. Her brown hair was straight with highlights of blond and red. Strands that had been brown before, strands that he curled in his fingers time and time again, Her slender frame was covered with a purple shawl. "You're already violating the restraining order by being here."

Troy shook his head as the both followed him to the bedroom. "What happened to my car?"

"I sold it," she said placing her hands on her waist allowing some of her sun kissed skin to be exposed in the process. He couldn't remember the last time she wore a bathing suit or went without something to cover her body. "I needed money to cover you're half of the rent I came up short this month."

"Right." Troy said in a low voice. "You could have just asked for the money."

"And exactly what would you have done?" Angela said raising a brow. "Your unemployed remember."

Troy bit the inside of his cheek and reached under the bed for his duffle bag and then turned to a drawer to begin packing. This life he had built, this space in which they shared it, he took a moment as he looked at all the items in his drawer. "What happened to us? Who just throws away eight years of their life with some one?" Troy said as he grabbed clothes and put them in the bag, "This isn't rational."

"Trust me Troy, I'm thinking very rational." She said looking away from him and at the bed.

The cop in the room shifted uncomfortably not knowing if he should leave the room or continue to supervise. The very fact that this was all happening in front of someone who had nothing to do with the situation was already uncomfortable enough. Now to have a man attempting to reason with a woman who didn't love him, made things awkward.

"I losing everything," Troy said as he began the next drawer. "From where I'm standing it doesn't seem rational, it seems spiteful."

"What daddy does is none of my business," Angela responded. "I didn't know he would fire you."

"The only reason he gave that job was because of you remember," Troy said with annoyance. "It was your business when you thought we were getting married for me to have that job."

"Oh because you we're doing great things with your stupid little camera." Angela said crossed arms and let out a huff. "Please, you needed direction in life."

Troy let out a chuckle, "If I recall you found my camera to be sexy." He said recalling the first night they met, he been taking her picture at her sister's wedding. He could remember it like yesterday she was sipping on a glass of Champaign. Watching people dance, her brown hair was lifted into a bun while strands of hair were streaming down in curls. She was wearing a light green bridesmaids dress. A dress they both agreed looked like cabbage, as revenge she was going make her sister wear it in her own wedding. Their wedding.

"As a hobby, not a career!" she said breaking the silence.

Troy began the next drawer, "This new guy, who ever you're dating, he's not going to put up with your parents."

"I don't care,"

"Oh yeah, and you don't care until you're asking him to quit his life dream to be a loan auditor in father's bank?" Troy said slamming his shirts into the bag.

"He already as a career of his own." Angela said brushing her hair back. "To be honest, this is over Troy, I don't owe you any explanations." Shoving her hands in her pockets she looked away from him and at their closet. "Just get the rest of your things and get out."

Troy stilled and looked at the cop then her. "Really?" he said in disbelief. "Just like that?" Troy shook his head, "You kick me out, break off the engagement, sell my car and get me fired and you don't owe me an explanation."

"Sir you need to lower your voice." The cop interrupted and Troy rolled his eyes placing his hands together in a praying motion.

"Angela, I love you. You are everything to me and if you're just looking to change your life style or rebelling against your parents whatever this is," Troy paused taking a moment to control himself. "I can be there for you."

"No you can't," Angela said with attitude. "Being with you is like aging fifty years in fifty seconds." Angela turned to leave and then came back. "I was two weeks late Troy," she said holding up her hand to her stomach. "I remember sitting on the edge of the tub and instead of being happy that I might be pregnant, I cried." Angela said in a angry tone.

"You thought you were pregnant?" Troy said in a surprised tone.

"I did," she said dragging a shaky hand through her hair. "And the thought of being a wife and a mother by the age of 28 scared the living shit out of me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Troy said taking a step towards her.

"I need you to hurry up sir," The cop said getting in between them.

"Because you would have said that everything was okay, that we could handle it. You would have been happy." Angela said extending her arms in frustration.

"How is that a bad thing?" Troy walked across the room to the closet and reached in for his pants.

"Because that's when I knew I wasn't. That being with you was going through the motion. It wasn't for me and this" she paused waving at the air between them. "This isn't what I wanted, this was what everyone expected. No one ever asked me what I wanted."

Troy chuckled more things into the bag."That is bull Angela and you know it," he said pointing his finger at her.

"No what's bull is that I put up with you longer than I should have and wasted 8 years of my life." She said.

Tossing his hands in the air Troy rolled his eyes. "Oh how horrible! You were in a relationship with a man who adored you and brought you presents and proposed and did everything you wanted him to." Troy tossed his pants on the bed. "Poor you."

"You're boring!" she said raising her voice. "Who wants to grow old with someone who already acts old! You're just like my father."

"I am nothing like him and you know it." Troy said tossing both hands up.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave if this keeps up," the cop said.

"It doesn't matter, We're done Troy, that's it." Angela said looking at his packed bags. "Get your shit and get out."

"Fine," Troy picked up his shoes and shoved them into the bag.

"Fine," Angela said making her way out of the room leaving the cop behind to watch him.

Troy took a breath and looked at the cop as he watched him continue to pack, "She's fucking nuts."

The cop lifted his hands and shook his head, "Just doing my job."

Later after a short cab ride Troy walked into the bar with his duffel bag hanging off his shoulder and his camera in hand.

"Troy, over here!" Ryan called out over the noise. Troy noticed him and Chad sitting in at a table, they were already eating.

Troy let out a sigh and made his way over collapsing into the booth, "well she didn't take me back." he said rolling his eyes as he moved his bag under his feet.

"What did she say about the car?" Chad reached for the ketchup for his fries.

"She sold it for rent money," Troy motioned for a waitress only to be ignored.

"Why not just chop your balls off?" Ryan said shaking his head. "What's with the camera, you going back to weddings?"

Troy shrugged "Maybe, I don't know I just figured I'd take it before she sold it too."

A waitress passed and Troy attempted to get her attention again. He failed and let out a sigh reaching over to steal a fry from Chad's plate. "How's Taylor?"

Chad raised a brow "reminding me every five minutes that you flatten couch, stained the carpet and never did your own dishes."

Troy winced, "she said she'd do them."

Chad let out a sigh "this how I know you're not ready for marriage," Chad said motioning a waitress over. "You believe crap like that."

The waitress smiled and took out her pad, "anything I can do for you guys?"

"Draft and a BLT." Troy said with a sigh.

When the waitress left Ryan let out a groan "she wants me."

Troy rolled his eyes, "what am I going to do now?"

"Sharpay said that room in the back is still there." Ryan said lifted his beer to his lips. "I say man it up and take that offer."

Troy let out a sigh, "you realize your sister is a porn star. It's uncomfortable!"

Ryan shrug, "porn star with a room for rent."

Chad nodded in agreement. "You can't afford to be picky."

"How am I going to make rent?" Troy said.

Ryan watched as the waitress came back with the beer. "What are you doing after work?" he said raising a brow her way.

"I don't know," she said with a small smile.

"I do," Ryan lips pulled into a slow grin followed with a roll of his tongue across his bottom lip.

"I get off at 5." she said handing Troy his beer her eyes still stuck on Ryan.

Troy watched as the girl walked away swaying her hips and glancing back to smile. "Amazing." Troy muttered as he lifted his beer.

Gabriella waved her hand over her toes drying them a little faster. She was watching pawn stars on TLC, Sharpay was on the phone in the kitchen with her boy toy. Gabriella rolled her eyes; she could stand the idea that Sharpay was willing to hide half her life away from some guy. It was ridiculous; if a man could handle what you do for a living then that's not the man for you. Besides being in any kind of relationship in their line of work was a disaster anyway. A knock at the door pulled her attention. "God damn it." she said capping her bottle and then getting up to hobble towards the door. When she opened it she came face to face with Sharpay's little brother and his friend. "Pay! It's for you," she called out.

Sharpay came from the kitchen hanging up her cell phone, "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Gabriella said with a shrug hobbling her way back to the couch, "Just keep it down, I want to hear about the coin collection."

Sharpay rolled her eyes as she came up to the door and looked at Ryan then his friend Troy. "What's up?"

"Is that room still up for grabs?" Ryan said looking into the house and leaning forward to see Gabriella bend down for her bottle of nail polish.

"Hey," Sharpay snapped her fingers and Ryan looked up at Sharpay's eyes.

"What?" Ryan shrugged as he looked back at Troy. "He needs a place to stay."

Sharpay let out a breath as she turned to look back at Gabriella, "Hey, did you tell him about the room?"

Gabriella held up the remote and paused the television. "Yes," she said looking at Troy then Sharpay. "This place needs a penis."

"Excuse me?" Troy shifted his weight and then looked back at Ryan, "You know I don't think this is a good idea-"

"Are you working?" Sharpay asked.

"I'll cover his first two months rent." Gabriella said, "You know, till he finds a job,"

Ryan offered Troy a bright smile. "Doesn't get much better than that!" he gave Troy a pat on the shoulder.

Troy looked at Gabriella then at Sharpay, "You don't even know me, I could be some kind of rapist."

"Are you?" Sharpay asked leaning against the door.

"No," Troy said bewildered.

"Then why not?" Gabriella said with a shrug.

"What's the catch?" Troy said looking cautiously from Sharpay to Gabriella.

"You good with your hands?" Gabriella asked.

"I'm good with mine?" Ryan said holding them up.

"Ryan," Sharpay moaned with annoyed expression.

"Our kitchen sink has been clogged for two days, think you can fix it?" Gabriella said rolling her eyes from Ryan and looking at Troy.

"I can try," Troy said with a shrug.

"Then you're in." Sharpay said holding out a hand. "Nice to meet you roommate,"

Troy looked at her hand and then against his better judgment he took it.

"Score," Gabriella tossed her hands up, "Finally someone to open the pickle jar!"

Ryan gave Troy a pat on the back, "you need anything give me a call, if it goes to voicemail I'm busy."

Troy shot Ryan an odd glance and watched as Sharpay lugged in Troy duffle bag. He was really doing this, he was going to be living with to 'adult entertainers.' Once the door was closed behind him Sharpay motioned for him to follow her. "Come on, I'll show you around."

Gabriella went back to her show and another coat on her left hand. "Do you girls have any tools?" Troy said as they made their way down the hall. The living room and kitchen were in the front of the apartment, both open and spacious, a bar with stool separating them both and a small cozy table in the kitchen with oranges in a bowl.

"Not really," Sharpay shrug with frown. "Here is the bathroom," Sharpay pushed open the door revealing a cream colored tiles and red walls, there was a glass in cased shower with granite floor and a small divider giving a hint of privacy from the enormous tub that rested to the left. There were a pile of rocks on one corner and then some soaps and hair products gathered in another.

"This bathroom is amazing," Troy said looking at the red throw rug they had in the middle of the room, off to the side the toilet was also divided with a small ledge which had candles on top it was enclosed and private. The sink was in front of a mirror with lots of lights and there was also a small pile of stones there as well. "What's with the stones?"

"Gabriella," Sharpay said with a shrug. "She says they bring peace." Troy nodded and they moved on, she showed him her room which was filled with lots of pink and pictures on the wall. "This is Gabriella's room, and this over here is the closet were we keep towels, linen, and extra pillows." Sharpay came to the last door in the hallway. "This is all yours."

Troy look at the door his hand hovered over the knob and in one short breath he pushed it open to see inside. The room was dark and the Troy looked into the room, boxes, and a discarded mattress off to the side.

"We use to room with Mia, but she quit the business not too long ago, she moved to New York with some suit and tie." Sharpay said leaning in to flip the switch, "It's hard to find roommates, you know with our lifestyle people are always turning a nose up or thinking with the wrong brain." Sharpay let out a chuckle. "It's hard."

Troy nodded as he looked around the room. "Well, we'll all just people first right?" He said looking back at Sharpay then around the room, there was dust everywhere, "How long ago did Mia leave?"

"Last year," Sharpay said leaning on the door frame. "She fell in love,"

Troy nodded and looked around walked over to the window in the back. "So is there anything I should know?" he asked wince at the squeak. "About your schedules or routines?" wiping the dust off his hands he patted his jeans.

"Well we are in and out, sometimes for a week some times for a day, sometimes the scenes are an hour sometimes there in other countries so it's really just kind of all over the board." Sharpay said she paused for a minute and then let out a breath, "Gabriella is loner she keeps to herself, as you know my family is out here and well aside from Ryan importune unannounced visits. Not much else goes on."

Troy looked at the wall were a large poster of a naked woman stood holding a yellow snake. She was a small figured woman with a large chest and raven dark hair. "Mia?" he asked pointing to the poster.

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah,"

Troy let out a breath, "Guess I better get to work if I plan on sleeping tonight." Troy said raising a brow.

"We have wi-fi, and there are cable cords somewhere around here, Mia had a TV back here and her lap top. She used to be a cam girl." Sharpay said with a wink. "Night,"

"Night," Troy said as he watched her leave. Looking around the room he let out a breath, "I can't believe this is happening." he said dragging a hand through his hair.


	5. Chapter 5

Gabriella was sitting on top of the counter in her pink panties and a white tang top, eating her cereal with her ear buds tucked into her ears. Her head bobbing lightly to the music as she chewed on her fruit loops. "Don't go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the..." the words died on her lips as she watched a man walk into the kitchen. A scruff, muscled, bags under his eyes man.

Troy raised a brow, "Good morning," did she ever wear pants? Troy did his best to act normal, whatever normal was at this point, he still wasn't so sure.

Gabriella plucked her ear buds out. "Morning," she said looking down into her cereal bowl.

Troy gave her a sideways glance and then opened the fridge and took out the milk. "I'll pay you back for the milk … and the rent." He said opening a cabinet then another and another.

"Glasses are over here." She said lifting her hand up and tapping the cabinet to her right. "Don't worry about the rent, consider it a room warming gift.

Troy was silent for a moment as he pondered what to say to a half naked woman sitting on a counter top. The last time Angela sat on the kitchen counter at all was, Troy let out a sigh, he couldn't remember. "Thanks, but I'll pay you back as soon as I can." Troy placed the gallon on the table and walked over to where she was and opened the cabinet to get a glass.

"So you were up pretty late last night?" Gabriella said scooping up another spoonful of cereal.

"I had a lot to unpack." He said shuffling his feet back to the table to pour himself a glass. "Your friend Mia had a lot of things she left behind." He stopped mid pour to look back at her with a arched eye brow. "Found a box of dildos." He said a little grossed out.

"Oh those are mine." Gabriella said with a smile. "You can just shuffle that over to my room." Gabriella finished up her cereal and then placed the bowl in the sink.

Troy frowned as he watched her push herself off the counter. With a soft thud she was on the floor. Her bare feet making the floor creek and moan softly. "Yeah, I'll just leave that by the door then," he said looking down at his glass of milk.

Gabriella smirked as watched Troy lifted his glass and took a long drink. His Adam apple bobbed, "So what are you going to do for work anyway?"

Troy lowered the glass and took in her dark features, her raven like hair, her chocolate eyes. She didn't look like a porn star would, then again he didn't know what he expected a porn star to look like."I'll find something."

"Find something like what?" Gabriella said putting the cap on the milk and turned to put the gallon back in the fridge. "I mean what did you do for a living before you got canned?"

"Loan auditor," Troy said with a small frown. Just when he was trying to forget about his misery.

"What do loan auditor's do?" Gabriella said shrugging her shoulders and taking a seat at the table resting her head in her hands like an eager child.

Troy smirked. "I audit loans." Troy looked at the chair beside him then looked back at the hall leading back to the solitude that was his bedroom. "I look through all the files, make sure you are who you say you are and that you have an income and all the necessary safety nets before you acquire a loan." Troy explained.

"Sounds boring." Gabriella said losing interest and turning to the rest of the empty room.

"Yeah," Troy said with a frown. "Story of my life."

"Ever thought of the porn business?" Gabriella asked with a grin.

Troy brow furrowed, "No," shaking his head he walked over to the sink and rinsed out his glass. "I'm not a porn star."

"Let not stat the obvious! Besides, never said you were," Gabriella said with a smile, "but then again when I was a little girl I wasn't telling the classroom I wanted to be Brie Channel either," Gabriella said picking at the salt shaker.

"Brie Channel?" Troy narrowed his eyes facing the fact that he'd have to conversation at some point he took a seat in chair.

Gabriella watched him and took note of the fact that she been watching him for a while, maybe trying to decide if him being here was really a good idea. "Porn name, and if we're in public you will address me as such."

"What is that like a stage name or something?" Troy said with a smile.

"Something like that," Gabriella said with a shrug. "A porn name is like brand, it's the money maker, you know the Mickey in Disney, the Bug Bunny in Warner brothers." She smiled a little and pushed some hair from her face. "Besides it keeps the crazy away, lets you have a private life. I'm a porn star, I own it, but sometimes I'm just Gabriella."

Troy nodded in understanding for a moment and then spoke, "Odd, but I get that? I mean it's still weird to me, the whole thing…" Troy let his voice drift out.

"Gosh, it's like second nature to me." Gabriella said looking at him with a smirk. "Whenever I see a camera I want to get naked and suck a penis."

Troy's eyes landed unintentionally on his camera he left on the coffee table. Quickly he darted away from it but not quick enough.

"Don't worry I said I wanted to not an overwhelming automatic impulse." Gabriella said with a smirk. "You're not comfortable discussing sex huh?"

"No, not really." Troy said placing his hands around his glass of milk. "So what did you tell the classroom?" Troy asked not really eager to look back up at her. How long had it actually been since he talked to a woman about sex other than Angela. Even then they called it making love or play time. Sex just sounded so…raw.

"I wanted to be a director." Gabriella said with a shrug. "Still do,"

"Really?" he said a bit taken aback. The idea wasn't far off just unexpected.

"I write a little every night, and I've talk to people," Gabriella nodded as she smiled a little thinking of the possibilities. "It's there in the someday pile." Gabriella stood up and smiled stretching out a bit. "What did you want to do?"

"Take pictures." Troy said looking up at her the down at the table top as he winced. Get now he sounded like a pervert. "I mean I use to take wedding photos." Troy corrected at the sound of Gabriella giggles, "I was good at it."

"So do it?" she said.

Troy shook his head. "I don't know, maybe,"

"Well you never know until you try," Gabriella chuckled and nodded, "I have somewhere to be in hour so I have to go work on my sexy. It was nice talking to you," she said walking away from him down the hall.

Troy eyes fell for a moment just in time to read the cookies on her ass, _one tough cookie. _Troy chuckled to himself as he looked away. His roommate was if anything, Interesting.


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriella paused in the doorway on her way through the hall after hearing the sound of Sharpay's voice on the phone.

Sharpay smiled as she held the phone to her ear, "Of course I miss you," she said wrapping the cord around her finger, she giggled as she rubbed her ankles together. "I have to work this weekend." She said with a small smile. "Of course I want to meet you."

"Then why don't you?" Gabriella said as step in further leaning on the door frame.

"Hey Zeke, I have to let you go," Sharpay smirked as she looked up at Gabriella and stuck out her tongue. "Yes, I'll call you tonight."

Gabriella made a puking motion and Sharpay turned away from her as she hung up the phone. "What's up girlie?" she said as she turned back to Gabriella.

"Our roommate is hot." Gabriella said leaning in the doorway and glancing in the direction of the closed door down the hall.

"Roommates are off limits." Sharpay said in a warning tone. "Seriously Brie,"

"Just making a general comment," Gabriella said tucking her hair back. "But not important, so tell me, when did computer boy jump up to phone boy?"

Sharpay let out a sigh and tossed head back, "he called last night."

Gabriella came into the room and sat on the bed. "You need to tell him pay, you don't want him finding out the wrong way."

"What's to say he doesn't already know?" Sharpay said with a smile.

"Sharpay you've been so damn careful I'm stunned that boy knows your cell phone number."

Sharpay made a worried face, "Do you think he could find out?"

"No!" Gabriella laughed and reached over to grab Sharpay. "God, relax, take a chill pill, masturbate or go make some money." Both girls broke out into laugh.

"Hey," Troy knocked lightly on the door, both girls stifled a laugh and they looked up at him like he was a father disciplining two daughters rather than a random man. "I have an interview in a bit." He was standing in front of them in a tie.

"You dress up well?" Gabriella said with a grin. Sharpay shoved her and Gabriella chuckled as she rolled her eyes, "I should get ready I have a scene with Evan today."

Troy nodded, "Well I don't have a key, so I was wondering if anyone was going to be home today?"

Gabriella paused on her way to the bathroom, "Oh no problem," running towards the front door Troy gave Sharpay a sideways glance.

Sharpay sat up more in the bed and took a breath. "So, what's the job for?"

Troy shrugged and then turned away from Gabriella, "Taking family portraits at the mall," Troy said with a grimace.

Sharpay smiled as he held up a high five getting out of bed. "Hey, got to start somewhere?" Sharpay said with a shrug.

Troy looked back over at Gabriella was opening a little rock by the door. She opened it to take out a key and then shut it. Looking back at Sharpay he let out a sigh. "Do you have a porn name?" Troy asked with an arched brow. "I mean I only know you as Ryan's sister the porn star or Sharpay?"

Sharpay let out a laugh as she adjust her shirt. "You mean you haven't seen my movies?" She said looking up at him with a curious expression.

"I'm not really a porn kind of guy," he said with a shrug. "Angela found it repugnant. No offense."

"None taken," Sharpay watched as Gabriella brought the key back inside kicking the door shut. "Most girlfriends think the idea is gross and crazy."

Troy nodded not wanting to put any words in his mouth.

"Misty Sunshine." She said sticking out her hand.

Troy took it with caution giving it a soft shake. "How do you guys come up with these names?"

Sharpay shrugged, "I squirt and I'm blond." She giggled. "it was a perfect match."

"I'm sorry, you what?" Troy looked at Gabriella as she held up a key.

"She squirts." Gabriella said with a smirk, "You know when she comes."

Troy took the key and stared at it for a moment. "Do I wanna know?" he asked looking up at both of them.

Sharpay crossed her arms "You mean you've never heard of it?"

Gabriella let out a sigh, "Not too surprising, I mean he is the expired condom guy." Gabriella said giving him a pat on the shoulder. "It's okay, your with us now."

"That's scary." Troy moved away from both Gabriella and Sharpay, "I have a bus to catch." He said grabbing his bag. "Thanks for the key?" he said tucking it into his pocket.

"No problem." Gabriella said with a smile watching as he awkwardly turned and bumped into a table. "Hey Troy,"

"Yeah," he said nervously turning around to face them again.

"Loosen up a bit will ya?" Gabriella nudge Sharpay who giggled as she shoved her back.

"I'm trying." Troy turned around and left the house leaving a giggling Gabriella and Sharpay behind.

"I have to go get ready." Gabriella said turning to head to the bathroom.

"Hey tell Evan we're still on for Friday." Sharpay said picking up her phone again. "The pretty girl photos for that one scene have to be reshot."

Later that day Gabriella walked through the doors of the grand house that was on the roster for today's scene. The house was swarming with people, people with camera's, people with props, people standing around in costumes, and people standing around naked. "I love my job," she said coming to the center of attention happening in the living room. There was Evan and Emma doing a scene on the couch. Gabriella smiled as she came up to George the director.

"Brie, baby." George whispered as he got up from his seat behind the camera.

"Hey George," Gabriella whispered back with a smile. "How's it looking?"

"Wonderful, as always," George smiled and he motioned for the scene to wrap up. "Give me a pop shot on the face in three." George looked back at Gabriella, "Brie I've been reading through your script." He said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Now I know you only asked me to tell you about what I thought of it as a piece." He said with a smile. "But it has so much more potential, it seems almost criminal to only have it as a piece of written work."

Gabriella had been showing her work to George for a while, she trusted him. He was more than a boss, more than another director in the business he was George. Everyone called him George. He was kind, caring and went out of his way to make you feel comfortable on set. His wife died last year of breast cancer. Since then the spark in his eyes had dimmed but he was still there. "Well it's not like I'm not trying to get my foot in the door." Gabriella said as they made their way into another room that had been set up with mirrors and make up stands.

"I know dear, business is hard these days, especially with the internet around." George let out a sigh, "Everything's becoming bootlegged and lost to the world web."

"I thought you were going to go into the fyretv network." Gabriella said putting her bag down. It was getting harder to believe that people were still going out there to buy porno DVDs, or pay ridiculous amounts of money for subscription based websites. Truth be, told Play Boy and Hustle magazine were even stepping it up to the digital media that was taking over. Uploading their product online, creating apps and targeting kindle or nook readers. Gabriella watched as George took a seat in one of the chairs and loosed his shirt collar with a small tug.

FyreTV was the new coming product made to compete with Netflix and Hulu only it was still in the starting of the porn world, still underground. FyreTV would change the porn marketing industry by bringing all the favorite adult film stars to home screen everywhere at a decent price. People would purchase the FyreBoxxx, then choose anything they wanted from over 20,000 movies, whether it's a full movie, a scene, an unlimited studio package featuring most of the biggies Vivid, Wicked, etc. or you could pay by the minute.

It's seems like a step up? Like people would make money all around. Not quite. People who own small businesses were being shut out. Oh sure as long as they were putting a penis in a virgina there would always be a need for porn. Problem was it left most of the small business out of pocket with dvds and products sold separately online or at the stores. If FyreTV got as big as people thought, it could be both a blessing and a curse to the industry.

"I not so sure, at this point it would be more like losing money than making it." George rubbed his chin. "I still have the papers in my office."

Gabriella let out a sigh, "Seems like we're all on a sinking ship."

George smiled, "You my dear, do not have to go down with the ship." George shrugged his shoulders, "Have you thought of attempting a cross over?"

"No and I wouldn't dream of it," Gabriella said sitting down on a table top, "I like the porn business, it'll bounce back, sex always sells." Gabriella said with smirk.

"You always did have an optimist eye," George got up and smiled. "That's why you're my favorite." He said brushing her cheek with the backside of his fingers.

Gabriella smiled and sat quietly in the empty room after his departure. Looking back at the mirror she let out a sigh and began to disrobe to get into her costume.

Troy let out a sigh as he shrugged on the brownish crème vest. Ten minutes into the interview he'd got the job. Although he had the overwhelming sensation that no one else had applied, an idea that came to him when took a seat next a stack of old molded over pizza boxes in the office. the conformation came from the lack of credentials or experience was needed.

"You know we're not looking for Picasso, just someone to hit the shutter button you know?" The man said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Well Picasso I am not, but I do know my way around a camera and studio." Troy said patting his bag.

"Excellent, and your sure you not on the sex offenders list or anything like that?" the man leaned forward and raised a brow. "Are you a pedifile?"

"No." Troy said offering a strange once over at the man sitting on the other side of the desk.

"All right then." He sat up and slapped the desk. "Job all yours."

Running when he had the chase was understatement. He should have turned around when he stood outside looking in through the water stain windows and rusted neon lights. But he needed a job and at least this was something he knew.

"So we get a call and Sam, our secretary, will tell us where to be and what they need as far as backgrounds or props." The man smiled back at Troy as he led him to the back room which was covered in dust and filled with clutter. His name was Dan. Dan had two pictures on his desk. One of his cat and one of his mother. Enough said about Dan. "We show up on location and we set up shop normally were there for five hours or so."

"How many clients does that average out to?" Troy asked raising a brow as he looked around the old room with brick walls.

"Most of our clients are all mothers who want the yearly photo of their children. Those little fuckers are the real money makers for us." Dan said as he came to another small desk. "This is your set up, it's been a while since we had another hand back here." Dan adjust his belt and looked around with pride. "I've done my best to keep up with it all, but you know how these things go."

Troy looked at the desk, which appeared to have been used as table for someone collection of soda cans and take out containers. Troy made a face not on purpose but out of instinct. "So this is my desk." Troy said pointing at the mess.

"Yup," Dan pushed some of his greasy strains back as he let out a sigh. "Lots of late nights put to work back here." Dan smiled and gave Troy a pat on the shoulders. "Spots all yours now," with a wink Dan left him in the back room and Troy did a slow turn as he looked at all of the items, the dust. Things were tossed around everywhere, there was no order, camera parts were left in various parts of the room and pictures meant for display and advertisement were turning yellow at the ends. In the middle of the room was a clean area with lots of paper work and a computer. Troy let out a sigh as he rolled up his sleeves.


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh my god, Oh my god, Oh my god." She screamed as she bounced up and down on this his cock. Rubbing and massaging her clitoris as she looked down at the camera. "It feels so fucking amazing," she said through gritted teeth.

"Give me an orgasm Misty," Called the director.

Sharpay threw her head back as the camera pulled up. "I'm going to come, oh my god I'm going to come." Sharpay shut her eyes tight as she proceeded to orgasm creating squirts of liquid to come from her virgina. The liquid was squirted onto some of the third camera as he zoomed in to get a close up on the penetration. The pace slowed down and Sharpay looked up at the other camera with half hooded eyes. "Oh my god I want you to come all over my face."

Gabriella who was putting on her clothes from the scene she'd done before grinned as she watched Sharpay take a pop shot. They where work together today on a small film about two lesbian girlfriends who are cheating on one another with the same man, only in the end they both come to accept it and have a threesome in his living room.

"Long day huh?" said one of the crew guys as he walked past her carrying a fake plant prop.

"Part of the job," she responded in a low voice. Gabriella smiled as she pulled out her socks from the duffel bag. "Hey did they wrap up the Kraft table yet?"

"No, in fact I think they still have some of those muffins." The man said also in a low voice placing the plant on a cart along with other prop items.

"Thanks," Gabriella said looking back at scene which wrapped up.

They'd been working for seven hours on two scenes. They had to come in tomorrow for the threesome scene. As Gabriella tied the shoe laces on her white and pink converse Sharpay strolled over panting as she continued to wipe her chin.

"Great squirt scene," Gabriella said as she slipped her other shoe on. "Someone enjoyed herself."

"I had inspiration," Sharpay said slipping her panties on. "Zeke called last night and we short of had …" Sharpay bit her lip and shrugged. "Amazing phone sex."

"Sounds exciting," Gabriella smirked as she stood up. Stretching she felt parts of her body still sore from the day's work. "I can wait to get home and take a long bubble bath."

"I can't wait to call Zeke." Sharpay said with a little giggle.

Gabriella shook her head, "sounds like things are getting serious, that almost every night this week."

"Really, you think?"Sharpay pulled up her pants and then reached for her bra.

Gabriella shrugged, "Maybe, I mean normal guys don't call every night for nothing."

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. I mean he wants to meet." Sharpay said biting her lip. "What am I going to tell him?"

"The truth." Gabriella said picking up her duffel bag. "You're terrified he'll think you're a slut."

"Gee with friends like you who needs enemies," Sharpay said pulling her tang top on. "Hey wait for me!" Sharpay called as she slipped into her shoes.

Chad walked into the bar, car keys in hand and gallon of milk in the other. He told Taylor he was stepping out to get milk. At least that was his cover story. Walking through the bar he caught site of the waitress that called him.

"Hey Cindy, where is he?"

The young blonde cocked her hip and motioned to the bar. "Been here for the last four hours, he's scaring off costumers and Tony about to flip a gasket."

"Thanks for calling me Cindy,"

"No problem, tell your wife I called in that favor of hers. The day care center is a big help for Robbie and me," Cindy patted him on the shoulder and returned to bussing tables.

Troy looked at the five bottles of beer sitting in front of him. Empty, every one of them as empty as his he felt.

"You're going to drink yourself sick." Chad said sitting down beside him at the bar.

"I don't get it?" Troy said tilting the bottle and watching the last of the beer left swish around. "I did everything she wanted me to." Bringing the bottle up he let the last of the warm beer slide down his throat.

Chad let out a breath and nodded towards the bartender, who shook his head as Troy wiped some drool from the side of his mouth. "Sometimes things just don't work out buddy." Chad placed his hand on Troy's shoulder giving it a gentle pat.

"She got bored." Troy said with snarl. "She gets bored and I have to start over."

"Come on, let's go home." Chad used his strong arm to left Troy from the stool.

"That's not a home, my home is with Angela." Troy said stumbling a bit.

Chad let out a breath as he supported Troy's weight. "The girls seem nice." Chad attempted making their way to the door.

"The girls are porn stars, of course their nice." Troy said raising a brow. "I feel like every time I use the bathroom I'm running the risk of catching some STD."

Chad shook his head and helped Troy out of the bar and into his car.

"How could she just throw me away?" Troy said as Chad buckled his seat belt. "She just woke up and decided to dump me, like she was picking out a rug or something."

"She's a bitch," Chad said closing the car door. Walking around to the driver side he mumbled and slurred under his breath.

Troy stumbled into the apartment, letting out a sigh when looked around the strange but familiar surroundings. There was a low rumble of drums accompanied by some kind of trumpet. Troy raised a brow as he walked deeper into the apartment. It was dark, the sounds of the trumpet called to him. The magical rhythm of Drums and piano, but there was something else. A soft voice in Spanish floated on the air. The bathroom was door was open partially and a dim flicker of light was coming through.

Unable to stop himself he pushed the door open a little more to reveal the bathroom lit with candles. The sounds he was hearing were coming from an iPod propped on a doc with speakers. His eyes wonder landing on the tub his mouth went dry. There she was in the bathtub her skin glowing from the candle light, her hair gather up above her head in a high bun with strands of chest nut stringing down become caught by the gentle lapping of the water.

She let a soft moan as she shifted her arm further between her legs. It was a slow sensual motion. He knew instantly what she was doing; just as well as he knew he should close the door and leave. He looked down the empty hall; Sharpay's bedroom door was shut. His eyes came back to her. Her eyes were shut softly almost faintly. Her lips were parted, swollen as she bit down on one lip, teasing it between her teeth. Another moan escaped her lips and Troy felt the blood of his own arousal making his pants tighter.

Her breasts were floating just beneath the water from the tub. Bubbles and distance kept him from making out more than just the idea of what she had to offer. He was captivated by each stroke and shift of her arms and body. She was unaware of everything around her and so tune with the task. Panting and aching her back rising slowly as she took herself higher.

He found his own hand on himself rubbing lightly as he watched her from the door afraid to make a noise, hanging on the edge as she shifted a bit faster. Another moan escaped her lips her eyes squeezed shut a little more as she opened her lips wider. Even with her face contorted in pleasure he found the sight almost damn near impossible to turn away from. She was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman he ever seen. Her arms fell more to her side as she let out a sigh of pleasure and Troy quickly ducked from the doorway and into two hall. Not sure what to say or do

Quietly he made his way to his room and closed the door behind him, sobriety kicking in. Dragging a hand through his hair he let out a breath, feeling his himself lean against the door. "God, now I'm a pervert."


	8. Chapter 8

Troy sat in the living room staring at the Xbox. He couldn't remember the last time he was able to play a video game. Angela was against having childish things in the house. She claimed that they were a waste of intelligences and a breeding ground for ADD and bad behavior.

"Morning," Gabriella said as she opened the top to her water bottle. "You watching TV or is it watching you?"

Troy jerked in surprise, why he hadn't expected to see her walking around her own house escaped him. He almost couldn't help it and his eyes landed on her lips. Memories how flushed and plum they'd been the night before as she was gasping in orgasm seem to be plaster to the back of his eye lids. He'd never been so attracted to particular body part in his life. "I don't know,"

Before Gabriella could say anything else Sharpay came zooming into the room from the front door with the mail in left her hand. Dropping it on the table she kept moving. "Hey," Sharpay nodded towards both of them as she nibbled some strawberry jam off her right hand index finger. "Brie that scene is at two today right?"

"Yeah," Gabriella said picking up some of the mail off the coffee table. "The Cable bills in!" She yelled back as Sharpay disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Put it in my room, I'll pay it later," Sharpay said.

Gabriella looked up and sniffed the air. "What are you eating?"

"Making toast, want some?"

"No thanks," Gabriella called back. A slow smile grew on her lips as she put the mail down. "What time did you stumble in last night?" she asked lifting her water bottle to her lips.

"Late," Troy said with a nervous tick. "I mean I just went to bed."

Gabriella raised a brow, "How's the new job?"

"I hate it." Troy said with sigh, his heart beat was pounding, he didn't know why. His mouth had gone dry and he was now mapping out an exit or at least an excuse to leave the room.

"I thought you wanted to take pictures?" Gabriella said sitting on the arm rest to one of the couches.

"I do," Troy looked away from her and back at the game console, wishing he could crawl into some kind of black hole. He would never be able to look her in the eye again.

Her eyes looked at the Xbox as well, "Are you a Call of Duty Guy?"

"Not really, Angela is against violence." Troy said scratching a bit behind his ear in an attempt to change his train of thought. He suddenly began to wonder if Angela masturbated; if she had he never walked in on it or saw it.

"Right," Gabriella nodded and then shrugged. "Well since you're now a new man you have to experience new things." She said grabbing two controllers. When he didn't take it she let out a sigh and shrugged her shoulders."Relax I'll go easy on you."

Troy looked at the controller in her hand. The same hand that last night created the curiosity. Gabriella giggled as she held out the remote and began to move it from side to side. "Scared?"

"No," Troy said taking the remote in his hand finally to stop her from waving it around. "It's just a game."

"Oh my god, you have never played before." Gabriella took the other remote and turned it on to the game. "You're going to love this."

Troy stiffened as she pressed against him lightly to put the TV remote on the coffee table. How was he going to keep his mind on a game when he had other things in his memory playing with his mind?

**Three hours later.**

"Fuck yeah," Troy hollered as he lifted his arms slam dunking the controller into the couch. "That's how it's done."

Gabriella frowned as she looked at the controller then the screen. "How did you do that?" she mumbled. Somehow he managed to throw his Toma Hawk from his point in the game and kill Gabriella's solider who was all the way on the other side of the lot.

"Skills and talent." He said proudly.

"More like dumb luck?" she said looking up at the replay. "Seriously how the fuck did you do that?"

Troy was making fan noise with his mouth as he cheered his arms waving around in madness.

"Ugh," Gabriella rolled her eyes and got up from the couch. "Well I have to go to work." she said adjusting her shirt and looking up at the clock. "Unlike you some people have to pay to watch me get off." she smirked as she moved towards her bedroom.

Sobriety punched Troy in the stomach and he began choking on his own breath and saliva. She knew he was there. Embarrassment made his face a bit red, shame flooded him and he dropped back down to the couch.

"Why so serious?" Gabriella said with a shrug. "From where I was it looked like you enjoyed it."

Troy was at a loss for words, but he opened his mouth anyway. "I didn't, I mean I did but not the way you think," Troy shook his head, that didn't come out right. "I mean I was drunk, I didn't know," he tried again and still mumbled on when she didn't say anything at all but stood there watching him with a raised brow. "I mean it's not like I masturbated or anything and I feel like a pervert, not that I am one, I never do that, I just can't I mean not that there is anything wrong with you or with me I just don't expect you to … you know, I just-"

"Oh my god, Troy it's fine," Gabriella giggled as she walked towards the couch where he was and sat on the coffee table in front of him. "People watch me get off all the time." Gabriella said reassuring. "However I'm concerned with your sanity." She said raising a brow. "You do masturbate right?"

Troy closed his eyes and sunk deeper into the couch. "Can we just not talk about this?" he said sitting up a little. "I swear I'll never think of this moment or last night again if you don't?"

Gabriella placed a hand on his knee and rubbed gently the touch made Troy's entire body jerk back. "Relax," she said with a small smile. "It's completely normal."

"To you maybe, to me this awkward as fuck." he said getting up from the couch and moving across the room to put space between them.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Pleasuring yourself is a beautiful thing we can do to release stress, unwind from a long day or simply to escape reality for a little." Gabriella said with a shrug. "I highly suggest you get hand around your own penis and tug one out." Gabriella got up from her seat and brushed off her jeans.

"Not going to happen." Troy said crossing his arms now and looking away from her. "I really just want to forget this whole thing ever happened."

Gabriella let out a breath, "Fine," she said walking back in the direction to her room. "Later," she called over her shoulder.

When she was gone Troy let out a long breath and wiped his face with his left hand. That was horrifying.

Later that night since Dan never called about any work Troy decide to join Ryan and Chad in a poker game. Maybe it would get his mind off things. He followed Ryan who had a clip board and a pen in his hands. "Let me do all the talking," he said as he placed the clipboard between his knees and adjust his black windbreaker jacket, he also adjust his hat which read security on the front.

"I thought we were going to Chad's place to play poker?" Troy asked in curiosity.

"We are," Ryan said grabbing his clipboard as the elevator came to a stop. "We have to score some booze first."

"This is a college dorm?" Troy said looking around as they got off the elevator.

"Have I taught you anything?" Ryan said shaking his head as he pulled out his pen from behind his ear. Ryan walked up to the first door and motioned for Troy to follow, "Remember let me do the talking and follow my lead.."

"We're going too arrested for this." Troy rolled his eyes. As Ryan knocked on the door, on the other side he could hear people laughing. A girl opened the door, she was a young girl with raven black hair and green eyes possibly only 18.

"Campus security, we got a call about some legal substances brought into the building, we're doing a check of each room and checking all IDs as well. Can we come in?"

The girl's smile dropped. "Ok." She stepped aside and Troy looked up and down the hall in complete shock of what was happening.

Ryan turned and tipped his hat at Troy "Check everyone's ID, I'm going to look the fridge. I need you girls to supply my partner here with your state ID, or student ID."

Troy nodded and shrugged his shoulders as he began to grab the cards handed to him he looked at each one as Ryan looked around the room. Troy looked around the room as well, it was mostly pink with poster of famous people on the wall, bands he never heard of lot of pictures of the girls with all their friends pinned to a cork board. The room was filled with youth. After a moment he nodded and smiled. "Room is clear."

Troy handed the ID's back to the girls doing his best to match the faces with the pictures and nodded as well.

"Don't do drugs, and stay away from alcohol. You ladies have a good night," Troy lead as they walked out of the room. Once they were back in the hall and the door was shut behind him Ryan shook his head. "So how's that job you got?"

Troy shook his head as they came to another door. "Job's fine, a piece of shit but it'll work for now. Hey here's an idea you know the corner store sells beer right next to Chad's place."

"That's good, why don't you just whip out all that money from your new shitty job and meet there?" Ryan said with a raised brow.

Troy let out a sigh as he leaned on the wall by the door. "Let get this over with."

Ryan knocked again. "Campus security." The next three rooms got them two cases of miller light and Smirnoff vodka.

Back in the hall Troy shook his head in amazement."I can't believe we took other people's alcohol."

"We're helping the community," Ryan said as they made their way back to the elevator. "These kids are under age they can't handle booze." Ryan smiled, "Like taking candy from a baby."

Troy got on the elevator with Ryan and they walked out into the night air. "I think I'm going to hell for just being part of this." Troy said as they walked down the street.

"No you won't," Ryan smirked as he looked out into the night at some people passing by."So how are the new roommates? My sister isn't being a total warden on you is she?" Ryan asked walking beside him.

"No, actually you're sister is really nice." Troy said with a shrug.

"Don't go rebounding on my sister." Ryan warned as they stopped for a red light. "I can handle her fucking for millions to watch but you …it'd just be weird." Ryan looked up to watch the light change.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Troy said as he followed Ryan down the street.

"It means I don't want your penis in my sister." Ryan said with a smirk, "I know you, I've seen your penis, sure we were both drunk at the time but I feel like you're a brother to me, hence the weird part."

"When have you seen my penis?" Troy still in disgust stopped mid step as Ryan continued to cross the street. A car honked and Troy jerked in surprise jogging a bit to catch up.

Ryan shrugged, "So other than my sister being nice what about the place?"

Troy, who was still racking his brain over when he possibly could have exposed his penis for Ryan's entertainment, shrugged. "It needs some minor fixing up; I mean my room is pretty much a bed and dresser." Troy said looking down at the case of beer in his hand. "I played some game called call of duty today."

"No shit, for the first time." Ryan looked up at him bewildered. "I've beat that game twice, think I was mostly drunk the 2nd time."

"Yeah well Gabriella insisted that I play."

"She plays call of duty too." Ryan said stopping mid step. "Shit, that's fucking hot."

Troy raised a brow and shook his head as he continued to walk, it was only a few more houses to Chad's place.

"Now if there was something to put your penis in my vote in on her." Ryan said giving him a nudge with his elbow. "Have you seen the tits on her, it's almost an injustice for her to wear a bra."

"And you wonder why Angela hated you?" Troy said "She was right you are a pig."

"Angela was a stuck up bitch, no one is happier to see her go than I am." Ryan said holding up the vodka bottle.

"Angela was not stuck up, she just came from a different back ground is all." Troy said trying to protect the woman he still loved.

"She fucked another man, she left you, got you fired, kicked you out and sold your car." Ryan shook his head. "Please tell you still don't think she shits rose petals."

"Every couple goes through some patches, I mean she's just trying something new. She'll realize she made a mistake." Troy said not sure who he was convincing. He needed some kind of hope that his life wasn't complete destroyed.

"That maybe true, but this is not a patch, this is another man's penis in her vagina, the dick in a glass box, the man she's been pining over and realized was a better fuck than you." Ryan said totally off collar as if it was just a random generalization. "You know something," Ryan paused.

"No I don't but I bet your going to say it anyway." Troy said a little annoyed by the new thoughts in his head.

"I bet you know him." Ryan said with a laugh. "I bet my money on it."

"Why don't you just fuck off will ya?" Troy said not in the mood to talk about it anymore.

"Fine," Ryan said as he came to a stop at Chad's house. "Believe what you want about her and that she's going to wake up and realize that tossing you out was a mistake. But truth is she tossed you out on your ass so she could shag it up with some other dude in the bed you slept in, on the couches you picked out together and quite possibly on the kitchen table were you ate breakfast." Ryan began to climb the stairs.

Troy, who was still at the bottom of the stair case, let out a sigh and reached for a beer. What time couldn't heal fast enough, alcohol was going to make him forget moments at a time.


	9. Chapter 9

Gabriella stretched her arms out as she bent backwards a little. The feeling of her body extended made her close her eyes as she slowly moved so that she was further back. She was naked and still on set, production was running and so far they had two hours of film and she was tensing up from the reverse cow girl position.

"Very attractive Brie,I see you been working on your abs more." Evan smiled as he stood in front of her naked his cock semi erect. "Misty tells me you have a new roommate."

"Yeah, one of her brothers friends," Gabriella said rubbing her neck muscles a bit.

"So he isn't in the business?" Evan asked curious. "Are you girls sure that's safe?"

Gabriella chuckled a little bit and shrugged. "I don't think this guy could hurt a fly, he's all hung up on his ex."

Evan shook his head as he two began to stretch a little. "Still, you girls are letting a man into your apartment. He doesn't understand the business or your life style, he could get the wrong ideas."

Gabriella bent don't to gave her tooth paste bottle and travel tooth brush. "You could come over tonight, meet him, make you opinion." Gabriella said grinning as she began her way to the bathroom.

"Something tells me you still won't listen."

"Because I won't" she said over her shoulder as she made her way to the bathrooms. As soon as she was in the bathroom she walked over to the mirror as smiled at Renee who was sitting on the vanity and Harper who was between her legs with her fingers inside Renee vagina. "Practicing a scene?" Gabriella asked as prepped her tooth paste.

"We're trying to get a sponge out and so far, no luck." Harper let out a sigh.

Gabriella grinned. "Here let me get it." She moved in-between Renee's legs, "How long as it been in there?" Gabriella asked handing her tooth brush to Harper and then warming up her fingers before inserting two fingers in Renee.

Renee winced, "Since yesterday, I forgot about it after my scene with nick." She said with a frown.

Gabriella nodded. It was a trick of the trade, as women we couldn't help but have a menstrual cycle but as porn stars we couldn't help but be an object of fantasy at all times. As a solution the girls would insert a natural triangle make up sponge inside their vagina to soak up blood. This was done so while you were on camera things didn't get messy. However it was very dangerous to leave it in due to toxic and bile build up which is why this was only suppose to be a cure for a few hours at a time. Just long enough to get the scene. Gabriella maneuvered her fingers and got a hold of the sponge. "Got it."

Relief flooded Renee's face. "Thank god, I'm meeting up with Ricky later." She said speaking of her boyfriend of 7 months.

"How is that working out for you?" Gabriella said gently pulling the sponge out and holding it up for her to see then tossing it in the trash.

"Ricky is great; he's so sweet to me." Renee smiled. "We're making 8 months tomorrow."

"Sweet," Gabriella said washing her hands with Soap before reclaiming her tooth brush. "How does he handle the whole porn star thing?"

"It turns him on." Renee said with a grin. "He loves watching me get off." With that said she came down from the vanity top and offered Gabriella a hug. "Thanks so much,"

"Anytime," Gabriella said with a small smile then returned to brushing her teeth.

Renee left the bathroom and Harper stood behind to fix her own hair. "You think we'll ever get to be that happy."

"Everyone has a right to be happy." Gabriella said around a mouth full of her toothbrush.

"There's a difference between the right to be and actually happy," Harper said adjusting her bump.

Gabriella spit and began to rinse her mouth out. "Well if you think about it, you control that happiness, so you'll always have the right to be actually happy. But as humans we're never happy because we always want more. You suck a dick and suddenly their asking you to take it up the ass." Gabriella wiped her mouth with a towel. "Before you know it you're in a movie called air-tight."

With that Gabriella gave a final check to her teeth. Perfection, every man's fantasize, an image of sexually freedom. Looking in the mirror she looked at the soft touches of gold in her hair and the way her hair cascaded over her shoulders. An image of beauty. "See you later Harper."

"Later," The girl called back as the bathroom door shut.

Having spare time only meant that he had more time to dwell on his failed relationship, so he kept busy as much as possible. Until it was lunch time, sitting over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich he could hear echoes of laughter as he looked at the picture in his hands. It was a picture of them on their 3 year anniversary she was smiling, his arms were wrapped around her. Had it all been Lies? When had the lies started? How could he have not known the difference? Troy's thumb lightly graced the picture. sliding the picture back into his desk drawer he looked over at the pile of boxes that Dan had found early for him to Sort through for a new advertisement board. The door from the front opened and Troy eyes darted to a female who was walking in slowly looking around and holding her purse to her chest. Her hair had strands of blue and her nose was pierced. She had a barbed wire design that looked to be tattooed on her neck. Troy eyes examines her outfit and all the colors she'd fused together making herself a neon rainbow. "Finally," she mumbled looking at the neatly stacked boxes.

"Can I help you?" he asked after he became aware of how quite the room was.

"Are you the new photographer?" she asked relaxing a little as she came closer to middle of the room.

"I guess?" Troy said standing up from the desk, "Are you looking to make an appointment?"

"I'm Samantha, they call me sam." She said raising a brow as she gave him her own once over. "I make the appointments," she paused as she placed a hand on her hip. "Dan said you're kind of odd."

Troy frowned a little as he thought about his appearance. Dan thought he was odd? Troy slipped his hands in pockets and looked awkwardly around the room. "Right,"

"I'm also Dan's niece,"

Troy nodded, "How old are you?" she looked rebellious possibly in her teens.

"Seventeen," she said nodding as well. "You cleaned up the place; it actually looks like a studio back here."

"Thanks," Troy said as he let out a sigh. "So you're still in High School?"

"I'm a senior." she said crossing her arms again. "I come after school and during the weekends. Only mornings though, I got a life too."

"Noted." Troy nodded and then motioned towards the stack of boxes. "Is there anything else I should know before I start on my next project?"

She shrugged. "Depends what are you working on?"

"And advertisement poster."

"Good luck." she said rolling her eyes. "The most business we get round here is taking pictures of kids on laps at the mall."

"Well, let's hope we can change that?" Troy raised a brow and looked at the box.

"Yeah well hate to pop your bubble but unless you're a Michael Angelo with that camera the most business you'll see is maybe taking kindergarten photos."

Troy nodded and watched the girl walk out the door leaving him in silence once again. "Women." he mumbled as he started towards the boxes.

Between work and home was a bar. A bar that called out to him, beg him to drone his sorrows and for a little while forget the reality that was shouting at him. After hanging around the bar for three hours he decided to head home. Troy placed the key in the lock to the front door and pushed it open to the sounds of laughter. Raising a brow his head began to throb from the lights and he looked into the kitchen. Gabriella was laughing as she sat up on the counter, he was slowly beginning to realize that Gabriella wasn't a fan for kitchen chairs.

"Oh, hey!" Gabriella jumped down from the counter top and raced over to Troy pulling him back to the table. "Come meet Evan."

Troy felt his hand being tugged toward the kitchen, could even feel his feet moving. The rest of him was in buzzing numbness that left him only vaguely present. Troy stopped moving when his feet reached the kitchen and there at the table, was a man with a slightly long hair. His face was almost stone like and his eyes were a clear blue. "Hey man," Troy said as he slipped his hand in his pocket and missed.

"Good evening," Evan responded reaching out a hand to Troy. "You've been drinking?"

"A little?" Troy said looking over at Gabriella. "Who is this?"

"Well Evan and I work together, in fact we were in a scene today with Misty?" Gabriella said cocking her hip to the side and leaning on the counter.

"So you're a porn star?" Troy turned his attention back to Evan. "isn't that like a prostitute?"

"And you would be a drunk?" Evan said standing up. "Isn't that like a complete and total asshole?" Evan let out a sigh. "Are you girls out of your mind?" Evan turned to Gabriella and shook his head. "The man is a drunk?"

"I am not a drunk," Troy said in a woozy voice. "I've been dumped. There's a difference!"

Gabriella held out two hands. "Alright, Alright." Getting in between them she placed her hands on Troy shoulder lightly. "Maybe you should go to bed?"

"Gladly," he said turning from them and walking down the hall.

"He's not a stray a puppy Brie," Evan said in an annoyed tone. "That is a grown man who knows full and well what he is his doing, what happens if he comes home at three in the morning and god forbid tries to force himself on you."

"He won't,"

"Right, because you girls have known for almost all of three weeks?" Evan exclaimed.

Troy stood by his bedroom door listening in on the discussion going on in the kitchen. He could feel the shame rising up in his stomach. He never thought of himself as dangerous before. Then again he never use to come home at all hours of the night either.

Who was he becoming? What was happening to his life? Troy opened the door to his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. reaching for his wallet he pulled the picture out. He heard the front door slam and assumed that Gabriella friend had left.

Shortly after the commotion died Gabriella leaned on the doorframe to his room. "What is it about this girl that makes you crazy?"

Troy looked up from the photograph in his hands and at Gabriella. He shook his head and shrugged. "For 8 years of my life I thought she was the one. I was sure we we're a good thing. I gave up everything for her."

Gabriella came shifted in the doorway. "Sounds like you resent her?"

Troy let out a sigh, "I wish I knew how to feel about it. I just keep thinking about is all these things I should have done or said or trying to pin point the moment when the relationship just began to not exist." Troy placed the photograph back in his wallet. Shifting he turned to face her. "Evan is right you know," he said looking down. "You girls don't know anything about me."

"Now?" Gabriella said with a shrug. "Then again I don't even think you know who you are. If you ask me I think the moment your relationship failed to exist was the moment you gave up on your dreams and began chasing hers." Gabriella looked down at her hand as she picked at her nails.

"The thing is I figured that they were our dreams, you know? I mean I just wanted to make her happy." Troy thumb lightly passed over the girl in the photo.

Gabriella looked back down the hall at something then back at him."You know that's the thing about heartbreak. It's soundless." Gabriella said crossing her arms."It's foolish to think you can pinpoint a moment in time you when you don't even know what it is your looking for."

Troy looked back at his wallet with a frown. "I miss her."

"And you will for while." Gabriella said looking around the room. "You're going to think of her everyday until one day without even realizing it you'll just stop."

Troy eyes looked up at her with gratitude. "You sound experienced."

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "I was married once."

Troy eyes widen as he suddenly very interested in learning more about the woman in his doorway. "You were married?"

A small smile came to her lips and she let her arms fall to her sides. "What does that make me some kind of unicorn or something?" she said with a chuckle.

"What happened?"

Gabriella shrugged "How about we save that one for another time." With a nodded she looked around the room, it was very plain the walls had been cleaned posters of Mia taken down. The bed was made and he had a pile of books on his dresser. "Can I ask you something?"

Troy tossed his wallet on to the dresser and then looked at her with curiosity. "What?"

"You seem like a good guy and maybe I'm just putting my nose where it doesn't belong but maybe you could cut down on the drinking?" She said with a small smile.

"I will."

Gabriella's smile grew, "Well I'm going to turn in for the night, maybe tomorrow we can rematch in call of duty."

"Sure, if you like losing." Troy said with a small smirk.

Gabriella nodded and then bit her lip. "We'll see."


	10. Chapter 10

**Guess what everyone! I got hired! I am no longer a temp. I am officially an appraisal review specialist at Interbank. I've been on cloud nine since yesterday when they told me the news. I got my own key card and everything. Plus while our team lead is on vacation they put me in charge! I can honestly say things are looking up for us. Hopefully soon I should be able to answer my phone instead of avoid it like the plague due to collectors. I'm making a lot more money and there is a spring in my step. For a moment there it looked pretty dark, I've been on anti depressants and stress out. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction to setting things right. **

"Next?" Troy sighed in boredom as yet another little girl in a pink dress was lead on to the set by her teacher. He'd been on shift for five hours. Taking the same photo over and over again. It was picture day Ravenswood elementary. Dan had been helping him with the set then he disappeared for his lunch break an hour ago. Troy could feel his own Stomach mumbling in disappointment. "Hey Honey," Troy said bending down to get to the little girls height. "Tilt your head a little to the left for me, and could place your hand right here." Troy smiled as he held up his thumb up. "You look like princess," he said as he got back behind his camera. "Give me a smile and say princess for me on the count of three okay," Troy held up three fingers and counted it out slowly, then hit the button. "Perfect, that was beautiful."

The little smiled and got up from her chair. Troy motioned for the next one and transfer the little girls photo to the computer.

"You're so good with the children. You must be have a few yourself." she winked as she nudged him on the arm.

Troy forced his best smile. "No, no kids," Troy said remember what Angela had said about her pregnancy scare. He never even knew she had one. What did that mean? Had he begun ignoring her? Maybe he didn't indicate that he wanted children, made her feel safe, or ready? Maybe the lack in faith is what started their end?

"Hey mister?"

Troy was pulled from his state of wonder as he looked at the little boy now sitting on the mark.

"Sorry about that." he smiled and resume his auto pilot state of mind.

Walking on set Gabriella dropped her bag down next to the chair by George. "Hey," she said with a smile as she took off her sweater. "Who am I filming with today?"

George smiled as he let out a chuckle and shook his head. "I've been waiting for you to show up." George said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Well I do aim to please." Gabriella said as she bunched up her sweater and dropped it by her bag on the floor.

George was quite for a moment as he watched the two girls on the small screen performing a 69 position "I have a friend who is looking to produce a film he can take to Sundance." George said giving her a side long glances. "He's picked a fabulous story to produce."

"Really, what did you guys have in mind?" Gabriella said stretching her arms over her head.

"Silly girl," George said looking back at the camera focusing once again on the actors already in mid scene. "I suggested he sit down and talk to you. Seeing as it's your movie he wants to produce only seems fitting that you get to see it from start to finish."

Gabriella stilled, "Shut the fuck up, Are you kidding?"

"He's waiting in the back for you as we speak." George chuckled. "Go ahead, go hammer out the details."

"Oh my god!" Gabriella screamed and a murmur of hushing noises followed. "Sorry," she whispered.

George laughed as he motioned for a crew member to get in closer. "I love my job."

Gabriella picked up her bag and sweater and began to make her way to the back patio where indeed a man with Sunglasses on top of his head was sitting at the picnic table and talking to one of the crew members.

"Hello, I'm Brie." Gabriella said cautious to provide her real name.

"Hello Brie," he said with a smile. "My name is Jason, and I've read your script."

"Which one," Gabriella said a little nervous. "I mean, which did George show you?"

"Here Comes Trouble," he said with a smile. "I love the character Isabel; she's raw, passionate, and new. She has something about her, for her age to feel so raunchy and be so different. "

"Thank you," Gabriella took a seat at the table.

"As I'm sure George as told you I want to produce this movie, I have to produce this movie. Brie if you give me the option to this I will make this world you created real." Jason reached out his hands and held hers in his. "I'll beg if I have too."

Electricity zipped through her body zinging from her fingertips. Her cheeks felt hot, her teeth were chattering. "Well I'm sure if we talk something out we can come to an agreement."

"Smart girl," Jason said with a smile, "Let talk."

Troy sat at the living room table staring at all the pieces to his camera. He'd taken it apart so that he could clean the lens and then began to clean it as a whole. Picking up the lens he fogged the glass so that he could use the special cloth to clean a smudge.

He heard the key in the front door and attached the lens back to the camera. "Troy!" His hand jerked and the lens almost slipped from his fingers. "Hold on guys let me change my clothes!"

"Shit," Troy slurred as he settled his hands and turned to see Gabriella turning and holding up a hand to someone outside. "What's going on?"

"My script is going to be a movie!" Gabriella said running towards him on the couch. Gabriella jumped up on it and Troy scooped up his film.

"Gabriella?" he said looking up at her and putting the film canisters in the bag.

Falling down onto the couch she giggled and clapped her hands. "Pay!" she screamed.

Troy winced and returned his attention back to his camera and reassembling the pieces.

"What's going on?" Sharpay said walking into the living room. "Hey Troy," she said looking at all the camera equipment on the table.

"My script is going to be a movie, George passed my script to this producer and he optioned for my script!" Gabriella squealed in a high pitched shriek and reached out to wrap her arms around Troy.

Once again Troy's hands slipped only this time he pulled them apart as to not damage the lens. "Congratulations." He said looking at her with a side long glance as he went back to assembling his camera.

"Oh my god!" Sharpay screamed, which was followed by Gabriella's scream, which made Troy scream with pain.

"My ear," he said looking at Gabriella.

"They're going to make my movie!" Gabriella jumped up from the couch and she held out her hands in excitement. "We're going to go out to celebrate." Gabriella with a smile, "Get dressed, get your good underwear!" Gabriella made a dash for her bedroom and so did Sharpay leaving Troy in the living room with his Camera.

In the silence he put his camera back together in one piece. Admiring his work stood from the couch just in time for Gabriella and Sharpay to come back into the room. Sharpay blond hair was pulled back into a pony tail her chest was pushed up and she was barely covered in a tiny sliver dress with sliver colored heals. Gabriella hair was down and wild in black leather pants and red halter top. Both girls looking at him and then his at his wardrobe, Troy looked down at himself he was wearing a blue jeans and a grey top.

"Hold on," Gabriella said running back into her room. Sharpay ran back into hers and Troy let out a sigh as he picked up his camera looked at his work with admiration.

"Put this on," Gabriella said handing him a sports jacket. She looked at her watch and then heard the horn outside. "Come on lets go."

"I'm going?" Troy said taking the jacket from her and shrugging it on.

"Yes," Sharpay came out of her room with hand full of accessories and shoes. "I found the timex!"

"Where do you guys get these things?" Troy said letting Sharpay put the watch around his wrist and the shoes at his feet.

"Old boyfriends," Sharpay said with a smirk.

"Here put this belt on." Gabriella took the belt from Sharpay's arms and began to loop it through.

"I can do it," Troy said sliding his feet into the shoes and then adjusting the belt.

"Bring you camera," Gabriella said with a smile as they both raced for the door.

"Alright, alright , I'm coming." Troy said now fully dressed and grabbing his camera off the coffee table. He followed the girls out the door and down the stairs. Fidgeting with his camera he adjusted the straps. When he did look up Troy's eyes widened as he looked at the limo Gabriella and Sharpay were already getting into.

"Sir," a man in a black suit titled his hat towards Troy. Troy hesitated not exactly sure if he should continue.

"What's the hold up?" Gabriella said getting out of the limo and placing a hand on her hip.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Troy said looking at the limo and the man in the suit. "This seems very expensive and… I can't afford this?"

"I'm not paying for it, my boss is paying for it." Gabriella said with a smirk.

"You have a nice boss," Troy said looking at the man in the suit and then Gabriella.

"Yeah well when you spend as much time as I do naked in front of him, he has to be nice to you." Gabriella said with a smirk. "How else would he get me to take my clothes off."

"Right," Troy said taking another breath and looking back up at the house.

"What's the real reason Troy?" Gabriella said raising a brow. "Do you think Angela will call?"

Troy was quite for a moment. He been hoping she would, that possibly after some absents and distance she might change her mind and want him back. That maybe she realized life wasn't the same, that food didn't taste the same, sleeping without him didn't feel as resting.

"She's not going to call," Gabriella said shrugging her shoulders. "If she was going to, she would have by now." The window blew by and Troy watched as strands of her brown hair blew by dancing on whispers of mangos and sizzling jalapeños. "Get in the limo Troy."

"Fine," Troy took a deep breath and walked towards her. He stopped when she held out her hand. "Now what?"

"Give me your phone." She said.

Troy rolled his eyes and took out his phone placing it in her hand.

"Good boy," she smirked slipping it into her pocket. "Now let see what we can do about that confidence?" she said in a low voice.

After getting into the limo Troy leaned over to Gabriella, "I've never been in a limo before," he said looking around at the other six girls sitting inside. "Hello?" he said looking back at all the girls and giving them all a nervous wave.

"Who is the cutie Brie?" asked a read head with bright pink lips.

"This is Troy, our very single photographer for the night." Gabriella said lifting his camera. The limo went wild with giggles and shrieks as they began getting into poses. Troy smiled at Gabriella who sent him a wink. "These are the girls, Candy, Diamond, Emma, Lori, Nicki, and Simmone." The girls waved as their names came up and Troy took a good look at each face in his best attempt to commit them to memory.

"Let's start the party!" Misty held up a bottle from the limo mini bar and the girls went wild again. Troy could feel the car begin to move and he lifted his camera taking snap shots as the girls posed and began to joke around, before long it was a natural environment. Troy kept snapping shots and the girls were asking him questions and he was talking to them as if this was something normal, at least for him.

Getting into the club took little effort at all and when they did all eyes were on him. He felt the pull on his arm and realized that Gabriella had looped hers through his. "Come on, your with us." she said with wink.

"That's what scares me," Troy mumbled. The sound of music blasted past him and his body began vibrating against his best effort to remain still to the beat. Looking around he noticed people talking and dancing, "How do you talk over this?" he yelled as loud as he could while leaning over to Gabriella.

"Talking is overrated!" she yelled back.

"Funny thing for writer to say don't you think?" Troy responded.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and pulled his hand towards the dance floor. Just as he was going to protest three of the other girls came up from behind pushing him out as well. Before long he was surrounded by bodies moving around him. Cornered between a read head and a blond, he felt Gabriella against his back. With no other choices he just gave into it and started to dance along.

Meanwhile Sharpay and Nicki sat at the bar watching the crowd. Most of the girls dancing around Troy or scooping up any stranglers on the out skirts of the crowd.

"Evan says this guy is bad news?" Nicki said looking over at Sharpay with a raised brow.

"He's just getting over a bad break up, I knew him back in high school, he's a regular boy next door type." Sharpay shrugged her shoulders. Checking her phone she smiled at the written text message from Zeke who was chipping away at her reserve to meet him in a public place for coffee.

"When was the last time you seen him?" Nicki asked lifting her pink drink back up to her pink lips.

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders, "Its been awhile, he kept in touch with my brother mostly." Looking back out into the crowd she spotted a couple dancing together and could feel an emptiness pulling at her heart. Was it so much to ask for a normal relationship, that some accept you for who you are and love you for all your flaws and best features? Letting out a sigh she turned her attention back to Nicki.

"Ryan is his voulcher?" Nicki let out a laugh. "God you guys are dumb."

Sharpay shook her head, "Trust me, Troy is a good guy."

"Well, Brie seems to think so," Nicki leaned in. "What's up with them?"

"They've been playing video games and just talking," Sharpay shrugged her shoulders and looked back out into the crowd spotting Troy and Brie back to back. "You know Brie, she not the relationship type." Sharpay looked back at her phone and bit her lip with confusion. Why was the choice of meeting this man face to face so frustrating?

Nicki smiled as she looked over at Troy and Brie dancing side by side. "He is kinda cute."


	11. Chapter 11

Troy lifted his drink to his lips, the music was still pulsing but over time his ears adjusted making it possible to hold an actual conversation. Over the rim of the glass his eyes landed on Gabriella. Her hair was shifting around with her body the brief flashes of light catching the highlights in her hair and the caramelized cream of her skin against the red halter top. She was the expression of freedom in a body of feminized desire. Placing the glass on the table he lifted his camera to snap a few shots. Her eyes were hooded with hunger, her lips parted with the need of attention. His camera clicked again. He focused on catching the magic in her hips the swivel of her neck and long silhouette of right side against a flash of light.

"Why don't you take my picture?" The voice was soft in his ear and hand with red manicured perfection rested on his shoulder. Troy turned to find the woman with pink lips.

"Hey," he said with a nod. "Nicki right?" he said vaguely remembering her if only through the photographs he'd taken before in the limo.

"She doesn't date outside the business you know?" Nicki said lifting her own pink drink to her lips.

"Who says I wanna know?" Troy said in a loud voice to be heard over the music as he began fidgeting with his Camera again.

Nicki nodded. "I know that look, I see it all time." Nicki said with a shrug. "You want her," Nicki came closer to him her finger hooking on his collar. "But unlike her you can have me." Lips hover over his and for a moment Troy didn't know what to do.

Just then Sharpay came out from the left and pulled on Troy free hand leading him away from Nicki. He looked back to see her pink lips curve into a smile as bit her lip and offered a wave. Sharpay flicked his ear and Troy jerked as he turned back to Sharpay. "What?"

"Stay away from her." Sharpay said pulling him out onto the floor.

"Why is that?" Troy yelled back following her closely his hips moved in time with hers as they began to move.

Sharpay slipped her hand around his neck. "Nicki is bad news," she said into his ear. "Don't get me wrong she's an awesome person to hang out with and have on your side but." Sharpay shrugged as she pulled back from him. "She's a slut!" Placing her hands on his shoulder she began to dance more vigorously and Troy followed suit. The music picked up speed and Troy did his best to keep up, he'd never actually been out dancing before.

The music slowed down and everyone was now at a V.I.P. table drinking and eating snacks. Troy leaned back as he took more photos of the girls his attention only being caught when Sharpay sat down at the table. "You still alive?" Sharpay said pulling on his jacket.

Troy nodded a smile coming to his lips as he met with her eyes. "This is amazing." He said in loud voice. "Do you do this all time?"

Sharpay nodded. "Whenever we can," lifting her beer to her lips she took a swig and then held it up as an offer to him.

"No thanks, I've switched over to water." he said with a smile as he tapped his water glass.

"I'm impressed?" She said crossing her legs

Just then Gabriella came over and sat on his other side crossing her legs as well and lifting her hair up in order to fan herself with her free hand.

"Having fun?," he said as he let his eyes fall to the curve of her neck. It was to no mystery that everything about this woman was alluring. That was what she did for a living wasn't it? To be the object of every mans desire? To seduce? Then again he couldn't see her looking at him with the same kind of desire. As far as the women in the room were concerned he was beneath them. Troy looked away from her and back into the crowd of people still dancing. His eyes spotted Nicki who was watching him from a far. She blew a kiss his way. Then again wasn't the best way to get over someone was to get under someone else? "Nicki seems nice." Troy said looking at Gabriella with a raised brow.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "If you like that shorta thing?" she smirked grabbing the camera from around his neck and turning it towards him.

"Angela would have hated this place," he said with a smirk as she snapped a photo of him.

Gabriella got up on her knees beside him in the booth tilting the camera. "You need to stop thinking about Angela," she said snapping another shot.

"And what should I be thinking about?" he countered reaching for the camera.

"Having a good time," she smiled back as she jerked the camera from his reach. "Come on, aren't you having fun?"

Troy was quiet for a moment as he stared at her while she watched him through the camera. There was something about her. Beyond the makeup, the Porn Star attitude and bad girl persona, there was something else as she looked at the camera screen and he would have given anything in the world to know what it was. For now he settle for making her smile. "I'm having the time of my life."

Gabriella smile grew and she turned around leaning on him and pointed the camera in their direction taking the shot. Handing him back the camera she picked up her beer and drowned the rest of it. "I'm gonna get another drink."

Troy smiled as he looked back at Sharpay, "So do you guys pay for all this or does the studio pay?"

"We're porn stars, we rarely pay for anything?" Sharpay laughed as she lifted her feet up on the table. "We party hard and look good." She said arching her leg win her sliver heals.

"But you're not just porn stars." Troy said with a grin. "I mean that's just a job for you guys," Troy added. "What do you do when you're not Misty?"

Sharpay let out a sigh. "Being a porn star is not really a job." She said with a shrug. "It's a life style. Gabriella always says that being a porn star is like being a president. No one ever stops thinking about you as anything else but that."

"Seems kind of depressing," Troy said lifting his water glass.

"I can be if you let it." Sharpay lifted her beer to her lips and looked out into the crowd. "Certainly puts a dent in your love life."

"But aren't you talking to someone online? Or on the phone?" Troy said with a raised brow.

"His name is Zeke, but so far I just haven't had the guts to meet him." Sharpay said.

"Why not?" Troy turned to face her more.

"Scared," Sharpay smirked a little as she thought about it. "I told him I was in the entertainment business but I kind of left out the whole porn thing."

Troy raised a brow. "You have to meet him."

"Why?" Sharpay said with frown. "It's going to kill the romance, you know? I mean I like that I get excited when he calls, I like checking my phone every two minutes for text and I love that I lay in bed waiting for his sign on to come up online just so that I can talk to him till I fall asleep." Sharpay looked off into the distance. "When I meet him he's not going to understand, he'll end things and I'll never hear from him again." Sharpay took a swig of her beer. "Or worst he'll want to fuck a porn star and then move on."

Troy was quite as he listened to her, nodding and following the problem. "Those are all very good fears." He said placing a hand on hers. "But all you're doing is hurting yourself by not meeting him. You can't always assume the worst of people, if you do you'll never feel all those feelings about anyone." Troy paused as he looked down his finger were the engagement band had been then back at Sharpay. "Heartbreak sucks but we go through it because nothing beats that feeling you get when you two people connect."

Gabriella made her way down to the bar past the crowd. Ordering up another beer she turned around so she could look up in the V.I.P. section were Troy was talking to Sharpay. Letting out a sigh she took a moment to admire the way he listened to her. He always listened; he was so innocent, always looking at the world like he still had milk in his eyes.

Angela really did a number on him. Gabriella shook her head, some people were ignorant. Anytime they had a good person in their life there was always something they would find to pick at. Some flaw that would become ten times larger than it really was. Ricky was like that, couldn't get over her personality. Wanted to change her, make her a house wife, pregnant and bare foot in the kitchen. At 19 that was the last thing she wanted to be. Looking back now the idea of being some one's house wife wasn't a horrible idea. Just as long as she didn't lose everything that made her who she was.

This movie deal was going to change her life, how she wasn't sure but she was going to enjoy every moment of it. Someone wanted to produce her script. To transform what was in her head into something that could inspire people and touch them in ways that only stories could. After all that was what life was all about wasn't it. Telling stories, living stories, remembering stories, passing them on to your children and hopping that one day after you gone that someone, somewhere would look back and because of your story make different choices. Live better or just laugh because you need it.

"He's fine." Nicki said coming in next to Gabriella and signaling for beer.

"Who?" Gabriella asked looking at Nicki, she was jerked from her stand of thought. Pulled back into the club where Nicki was standing beside her.

"Your new lover boy," Nicki said motioning over to Troy.

Gabriella shook her head and grabbed her beer from the bar tender. "He's a friend, like a brother or something." She said with a shrug. "We play video games, talk about stuff."

"So you wouldn't mind if I played with his Joy stick?" Nicki said with a smirk.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "He's a grown ass man, where he puts his penis is up to him." Gabriella lifted her beer and took a swig.

"So you're not calling dibs?" Nicki asked taking her beer as well and pulling it up to her lips.

"I'm not calling dibs." Gabriella said cautiously. "However I don't think he's ready for anything serious, sex to him isn't like sex to us, to him it actually means something." Gabriella said a little grossed out.

"Well sex means a little different of everything to everyone." Niki watched as Gabriella eyed her carefully. "You wouldn't mind if I did a little research of my own would you." Nicki said looking up at Troy in the V.I.P. area.

"Nicki," Gabriella didn't try at all to hide the warning tone in her voice.

"Well someone has to jump his bones, and if you're not going to do it. I am." Nicki said raising a brow and giving Gabriella her half empty beer.

"He's not a toy Nicki," Gabriella called but Nicki was already on her way to the V.I.P. section and Gabriella slammed the beer bottle down onto the bar. "Damn it."


	12. Chapter 12

Sharpay held her phone closely as she read the messages on the screen. She was only pulled from the phones clutch when she was startled by man hand grabbing an apple from the center of the table. "Morning Misty." Troy said bringing the apple to his lips.

"Morning," she said a little out of breath. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry," Troy said around a mouth full of apple. "So is today the day?"

"The day for what," Sharpay said with a wince, "Science to find a cure for the hangover?" she groaned.

"Meeting Zeke." Troy shrugged.

Sharpay lips pulled into a grin as she raised her brow in interest. "is that an offer to go with me?"

"If you wanted me to," he said with a shrug. "Never hurts to bring a friend."

Sharpay looked down at her phone. "I'm nervous. What if he doesn't like me?"

"I need coffee." Gabriella voice chimed into the kitchen as she appeared from the back bedroom. She was wearing a pair pink cotton boy shorts with a Nike swoosh on the side with matching tank top tight against her chest. No bra. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail.

"Going for a run?" Sharpay asked.

"Yes," Gabriella said as she poured herself a cup. "Want to join me? Best way to sweat out the alcohol. "

Sharpay was quite for a moment as she looked at her phone. "Zeke is supposed to call."

"So," Gabriella said bringing the coffee cup to her lips. "He's always suppose to call."

"Troy and I are going to meet him." Sharpay said biting her bottom lip a little as she looked up at Gabriella.

Gabriella stilled as she looked from Troy to Sharpay. "Give that penis a sandwich, are you kidding me?" Gabriella said tilting her hip and resting it against the counter.

"I'm sorry give that penis a what?" Troy eyes went wide as he looked at her oddly.

"Do you think it's too soon?" Sharpay placed both her hands on the table. "I mean we don't have to do it tonight?" Sharpay stood up nervously shrugging her shoulder. "Next week is pretty good."

"You have to do it tonight," Gabriella said looking at Sharpay with a blank expression. "You can't keep chickening out on this Pay. You talk to him more than you talk to me. And I live with you!" she said emphasizing the last part.

"I don't know," Sharpay said arching her brow.

Gabriella shot out reaching for Sharpay's phone left unguarded on the table as Sharpay rinsed out her coffee cup. "Let's see," Gabriella said with a smirk.

"Gabriella, no." Sharpay shrieked and reach for her only to come up empty handed as Gabriella pulled away.

"Hey. Want to. Meet up." Gabriella spoke as she typed into the phone.

"No," Sharpay chased her into the living room the entire time Gabriella was typing into the phone.

"tonight at. Benny's coffee and crème?" Gabriella finished dodging Sharpay reach for her phone my sticking her butt out and extending her arms.

Sharpay jumped on Gabriella back.

"Careful!" Troy exclaimed as he watched the girl wrestle for the phone.

"8 O'clock?" Gabriella said hitting the send button and then tossing the phone to couch as she struggled free.

"Noooo." Sharpay dived for the phone her fingers looking for away to undo the sent message. "No, no, no."

Gabriella adjusted her ponytail. "You'll thank me for that one day!" she said with a chuckle.

"What if he says yes?"

"Then you meet him." Troy said staring from Gabriella to Sharpay. "I mean it's got to happen sometime."

The phone chimed and all three of them stared at each other in surprise. Sharpay jumped up her hands shaking as she looked down at the phone. "Oh my god. Oh my god."

"What did he say?" Troy asked looking at Sharpay with a chuckle. This inside view to the female world was getting more amusing by the moment.

"He said he can't wait." Sharpay collapsed onto the couch staring at the phone. "What am I going to wear?"

Gabriella stared from Troy to Sharpay, "You know what this means?"

"I think it means I should go," Troy said.

"Shopping trip!" Gabriella said in sing song.

"Yeah that's my cue." Troy said reaching for his camera bag.

"Oh my god, I'm going to meet him!" Sharpay said jumping up from the couch, her breathing became heavy as she waved her hands out trying to shake off the nerves.

"It's going to be fine," Gabriella said reaching for her. "Come on we have go for a run now, it'll loosen you up."

"I can't go shopping today. I have a scene with Jake today; I'm doing a scene as a naughty nurse."

"I'm leaving." Troy said grabbing his key from the hook of dangling keys.

Gabriella waved him off and took Sharpay by the hand. "Do you want to borrow my red heals, they look amazing with the nurse get up." Gabriella offered.

Troy watched the girls disappear into one of the bedroom as he pulled the door open. "Women." He mumbled with a chuckle and stepped outside.

Later that day Troy focused on the picture developing. The red glow added a mist to the light making the space forbidden and sensual as he clipped a photograph on to string to dry. Taking a step back he admired the image of Emma and Nicki blowing kisses to each other. The playful nature of the photo made him smile to himself. The darkroom was sealed off by boxes and he'd found three days ago. He'd taken a guess that since digital photography was the Studio's big selling point, that they stopped using this room a long time ago. His ears quirked as he heard the door open a little and shut quietly, he glanced at his watch Sam had just come in a few minutes ago from school.

"You know there was this change in photography, happened a few years ago?" Sam paused as she leaned against the door and looked around the room."Maybe you heard of it. It's called the digital age."

Troy shook his head. "Digital is for amateurs" Troy muttered as he began working on the next photo.

"Yea well if you ask me I'll take the amateur way out any day, how long does all of this take?" Sam said crossing her arms. "and what is that smell?"

Troy raised a brow and gave her a side long glance. "The chemicals, you get use to it."

Sam covered her nose and made a face. "Yeah, if your nose is mutated?" Sam leaned in to watch what Troy was doing.

"Do you want to learn?" He asked with a smirk as she studied his methods.

Sam eyes became wide as she looked up at him with excitement and then she quickly looked away from him, "I mean I guess I should?" she said rolling her eyes.

Troy chuckled as he moved the photo around. "All you have to do is ask Sam." Troy sent another glance her way. He could see the excitement buzzing on her lips as she thought quietly.

"Alright, teach away." she said turning to face the table.

Troy smiled as he retrieved the photo, brought it over to the sink to rinse it and then placed it in another tray. "Developing a picture in a darkroom for the first time is a timeless experience that everyone should experience at least once in their life." Troy said looking up at her with a smile.

"Why?" Sam arched her brow.

Troy in anticipation of her question smiled "The feeling that you get when you first see an image appear on a once blank sheet of paper is almost magical. The first time I printed a photo in a darkroom, I instantly forgot about the horrid smell of the chemicals, and for the record, I now enjoy that smell, but I was able to just watch as my photograph appeared out of thin air." Troy shook his head in memory of the experience and moved to rinse the photo again before placing it in the next tray.

"You sound like a nerd." Sam said as she looked up at him then back down at the photo in the tray.

"Do you want to learn or not?" Troy asked, he waited and she nodded for him to continue."This is developer, I use Kodak Dektol I use almost Kodak everything" he said pointing at the first tray. "This is Stop bath, this is Fixer, and this is Hypo clear." Troy said looking back at her as she watched him.

Troy motioned to some of the over head lamps. "Most things are self explanatory, plug in your safe light. Plug your enlarger into the timer, and the timer into the socket." Troy said looking back inside the tray where his current photograph was. "You also want your running water source to be near the chemicals." Troy motioned towards the nearby sink. "When I was 16 I set up my first Darkroom in my mother's bath room and stuffed a towel under the door." Taking the photo out he placed it in the last tray. After a moment he pulled it out, rinsed it and gently wiped it down before he clipped it up with the others.

"Interesting, most boys just jerk off." Sam said looking around the room. "So what does this stuff do anyway?" she said pointing at the trays.

Troy nodded and picked up another negative and placed it in the first Tray. "There is a lot more to this before we get to this point but because I've already set this up and have been doing this for so long. I've learned the art of preparing my prints. I show you how after this last one." Troy said with a grin as he rocked the tray back and forth. "So this is the developer and it activates the light sensitive crystals that make up the emulsion on your paper. When the crystals come into contact with developer, any parts of the paper exposed to light will become some shade of black."

"So there's no color?" Sam asked.

"I prefer black and white," after a moment Troy lifted the photograph and then moved over to rinse it off, "Next is the Stop Bath is an acid that deactivates the developer. As you put a print into the stop bath, it stops turning black. Water and lemon juice can both be used instead of stop bath, but are not nearly as effective." Troy let out a chuckle watched the photo in the behind the cool liquid become clearer to him. "I learned that the hard way."

"How do you live without color?" Sam said looking at him in disbelief.

"You manage," Troy chuckled as he rinsed of the print very quickly and then transferred to the next tray. "The fixer removes the unexposed crystals on the emulsion, making the paper light safe. Paper that has been through fixer can then be taken into open light without worries of turning black. Insufficient fixing will turn a picture yellow over time."

"So that's why really old photos turn yellow like books?" Sam asked scratching behind her ear.

Troy left the photo to sit for a little bit check his watch for time. "Maybe," Troy said looking down at the photograph of him and Gabriella coming into view. "Hypo is not always used, but it helps insure uniform drying, so that you won't have any drying marks later on."

"So what is your story anyway?" Sam said leaning on the table behind him and looking at all the machines and chemicals in the room.

Troy raised a brow. "My story?"

"Yeah, like how is it that, if you're so good at all this stuff, but your working here?" Sam said crossing her arms.

"Well," Troy said gently lifting the photo and rinsing it for a bit longer this time and the placing it in the Hypo. "I had a studio of my own once." Troy said with a sigh, memories of those times came flooding back to him and he was filled with the mixed feeling of regret and pride. "I sold it because I needed to put money towards our new apartment." Troy let out another sigh. "I couldn't hold on to it any longer and it at the end it wasn't even like I was there I was already working at a bank."

Sam let out a laugh. "You worked at a bank?"

"I was a loan auditor." Troy said taking the photo and rinsing it off more thoroughly to get all the chemicals off the paper. "I wore a suit and everything."

"How did you not go postal?" Sam said watching as he gently wiped down the photo with a squeegee.

"Well I thought I was working towards my future with Angela at the time." he said coming to the string of photo to hang the recent photo.

"Who's Angela?" Sam said looking at the photo of Troy with some dark hair woman who was absolutely beautiful. "Is that her?"

Troy shook his head with a small smile. Angela and Gabriella couldn't be any more night and day."Angela was my fiancé ...now ex-fiancé." Troy said with a frown. "When she kicked me out I lost my job at the bank and my apartment. So I figured I would come back into Photography."

"So who is she?" Sam said looking at the photo.

Troy looked back at the drying photo. "That is one of my roommates." Troy said with a small smile.

"Some roommate," Sam said Looking at another picture of Gabriella and another girl dancing against each other.

Troy eyes followed hers and he winced. "My friend's sister had a room in her apartment. It's temporary; I kind of had nowhere else to go."

Sam frowned. "Aren't you parents still around?" she asked looking back at Troy.

"They are," Troy said with a small nod. "It's just that they love in New Mexico, which isn't far or not to say that they don't have any room. I'd just prefer not to be the 26 year old who moves back in with his parents." Troy frowned. "That sounds really dumb doesn't it?"

"A little." Sam laughed and gave him a nudge. "Your alright for a grown-up." Sam shrugged her shoulders. "My friends are all of the skateboarding emo type if you get my drift."

Troy nodded. "I think I do." he said taking in the pink stripes in her hair and Metallica t-shirt. She fit the stereo type. "Is that real by the way?" he asked pointing to the tattoo on her neck.

Sam raised a brow and slipped her finger in between the choker and her neck. "It's a necklace?" she said with smirk. "Got it from one of those gum ball machines."

"And this?" Troy rubbed his nose motioning toward her piercing.

"Got it to piss off the folks," Sam said with a shrug. "Not really a big deal but it sure made up for them making me choose who to live with during the divorce hearings."

Troy nodded. "So why are you working here?" Troy said with a shrug. "Most kids your age are either working to save up for a car or working to make a college application look good."

Sam looked around and she frowned a little. "Truth is I don't know what I'm doing with my life you know?" she said leaning back on the table. "I mean my rents want me to go to school, which is like yeah no big deal, but my friends they think I should take pictures and stick with my art."

"You take pictures?" Troy said interested in her life.

"Nothing too fancy. Just some random shots of my friends on skateboards doing these dumb tricks." She said waving it off. "I mean I like taking pictures but pictures aren't going to food on the table. No offense but I bet your not making that much either?"

"None taken," Troy said with small shrug. "It is hard to make a living this way but you know if you work hard and try you can make it."

"I ain't no afterschool special," Sam said rolling her eyes. "I like to think I'm realist you know."

Troy smiled as he continued to listen to her talk.

"I like taking pictures, who doesn't, it like stopping time and keeping things perfected. Almost like laminating a moment in time, catching that moment when their midair on a skate board" Sam looked over at Troy eyes wide and filled with hope. "It amazing but anyone can take a picture."

Troy shrugged. "But not everyone can deliver quality and an artistic point of view." Troy held up a finger. "I have an idea, you bring me some of your shots for me to take a look at and I'll teach you how to prepare, use, and maintain a darkroom."

Sam thought about for a moment and then she smiled. "Alright, you got yourself a deal."

Troy smiled and reached out a hand so they could shake on it.


	13. Chapter 13

Troy felt his shoulders drag bit as he sat at the table watching Sharpay as she sipped her coffee.

"You want to explain to me why we're sitting in a café watching my sister drink coffee when we could be at a strip club motor boating double D's?" Ryan said looking down at his own drink. "It's 8 o'clock on Friday and I'm still sober."

"Can you not think about you for two got damn minutes?" Troy said watching as a man walked into the café and past Sharpay. Not Zeke.

"I did, I came here didn't I?" Ryan said leaning back in his chair. "Tomorrow we're going out for lap dances."

"Ryan," Troy said turning his attention away from Sharpay for a second. "I need to ask you something?"

"What is that?" Ryan said lifting his drink to his lips.

"How do you ask women …" Troy paused. "I mean I know how meet a woman it's just that I," Troy paused again.

"Spit it out," Ryan said raising a brow and looking over at Sharpay who was still sitting alone.

"I haven't asked a woman out on a date in the last eight years." Troy said with a short wince.

Ryan chuckled "Don't worry nothing's changed, woman are still playing the same old games."

"I went out the other night with the girls." Troy said looking down into his cup of coffee.

"Girls?" Ryan let out a sigh, "As in more than one?"

"Yeah, Gabriella and some of her coworkers were celebrating." Troy said shrugging a little.

"You went out with porn stars!"

"That is so not the point." Troy said pulling away and letting out a sigh, "Just forget I asked."

Ryan let out a sigh, "Come on, hit me up, what do you want to know?"

Troy hesitated as he looked over at Sharpay who was looking out the window and then back at Ryan. "Well last night when we were dancing, I was getting a vibe from this girl and I mean we could just be friends but how do you really know?" Troy said leaning in close. "Friends dance with friends right?"

"Troy, you realize of course that you could never be friends with a woman." Ryan said pointing a finger on top of the table.

"Why not?" Troy said in curiosity.

Ryan let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "What I'm saying is - and you can take this to the bank" Ryan said pointing in Troy direction. "Is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way."

"That's not true. I have a number of female friends and there is no sex involved." Troy said rolling his eyes. "Not everyone thinks with their penis like you do."

Ryan shook his head "No you don't."

"Yes I do." Troy said with a raised brow.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do." Troy voice went up a bit.

"Hey," Sharpay hushed voice came from across the room. "Knock it off." she looked at them both with disappointing stares. Troy mouthed an apology and looked back at Ryan.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "You only think you do."

Troy let out a low laugh, "So what are you say I'm having sex with these women without my knowledge?"

Ryan chuckled to himself "Wouldn't that be something." He said as he leaned forward again. "What I'm saying is you WANT to have sex with them but you haven't triggered that friends to I want to sleep with you switch.

"I do not and what switch?"Troy said with annoyance. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to ask Ryan about his problems.

"Do too." Ryan said with a look of disgust on his face. "Every time your eyes drip lower than they should, every time your hand brushes against their arm, when you get a whiff of their perfume, when they smile, when they lean up against you." Ryan tapped the table. "As a man we are visual and sensitive to the touch we pick up on all of it and we take it in as sexual."

"This is ridiculous,"

"Answer this?" Ryan said with a shrug, "Sex is on your mind is it not?"

"Depends," Troy said shifting a bit.

"You want to sleep with a woman, do you not?"

"Yes I guess so,"

"Don't ever fucking guess. The answer is yes." Ryan said lifting a hand and hitting him in the back of the head. "Now have you ever said hello to a woman you didn't find the least bit attractive?"

Troy paused for a moment. "I, I really don't. know."

Ryan hit the table with his hand. "Rest my case, every female you come in contact with that's not related to you is a woman you just haven't figured out how to flip the switch on."

"How do you know all this?" Troy asked.

"Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He will always want to have sex with her. That's the problem your having with Gabriella isn't it?"

Troy was quiet for a moment as he thought about the conversation. Choosing to ignore Ryan assumption he continued. "So, you're saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?"

"No. You pretty much want to nail 'em too." Ryan said, "Sex at the end of the day is sex. I mean come on sex isn't the answer, it's a question and the answer is yes or no."

Troy shook his head "This whole thing is nuts I mean what if they don't want to have sex with you?"

"Doesn't matter because the sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story." Ryan said looking over at Sharpay. "Hey is that him?"

Troy looked over to see Sharpay shaking a man's hand. "I assume," Troy said lifting his coffee cup to his lips.

Sharpay looked over at Ryan and Troy engrossed in their conversation as she nervously bit on her lip. She looked at her phone and quickly jotted a text to Gabriella.

_What if he doesn't come?_

Looking back up out the coffee shop window she let out a breath as she watched a couple walk by. What was she doing meeting some random man she met online. Every instinct in her body said this was a bad idea. She looked back over at Ryan and Troy as they were both leaned in talking about something. What good were they if they weren't even paying attention? Her phone chimed.

_He'll show. Stop being a chicken a shit. ;)_

Her fingers jotted across the keyboard as she nervously took a deep breath.

_I'm totally freaking out. ! _

Sharpay let out a breath and looked back up towards the door. A cold sweat breaking out across her back and she lift the menu to fan herself. Her Phone chimed again.

_He's going to love you. He'd be crazy not to. _

Sharpay looked back out the coffee shop window looking back at her almost there reflection. Her blond hair was down around her shoulders. She wore a pink fitted v neck and a pair of blue jeans that hugged in the right places. She almost resembled someone normal. A woman who had morals, someone who might have done something valuable in her life, tonight she was Sharpay Evans. Misty Sunshine didn't exist. Her fingers darted across the keyboard.

_I've never felt so unsure myself in my life. _

Just then the bell chimed over the door and a man showed up. She recognized him from the picture. It was him. His broad shoulders filled out his jacket and his jeans looked tight and snug in all the right places. Lord help her, he was hotter in person. Her heart stopped and it was getting harder to breath. He was walking toward her, his hand was coming up. Sharpay stared at him for a long moment before realizing he was introducing himself.

"Hello," she managed to stand up and offer her hand.

"Hi, you're Sharpay?" Zeke said meeting her eyes his exhaled and the room seem to dim almost as she watched him look back at her. Her hand fit snuggly in his hands as he lifted her hand to his lips slowly placing a kiss there. "Wow," he mumbled letting his eyes drop slowly. "Your beautiful,"

"Thank you," she said a little out of breath.

"Do you mind if I sit down?"

Sharpay didn't say anything as she looked over to Ryan and Troy who were now watching her every move. Sharpay blinked a few times and shook away the butterflies as best as she could. "Yes, please sit."

"Your pictures don't do you justice," Zeke said with small smile.

"Thanks, neither do yours," she said in a low voice as she looked at her cup of coffee.

Zeke smiled as he looked up at her then gave a sideways glance towards Troy and Ryan. "Friends of yours?" he said motioning towards them.

Sharpay looked over to see Ryan and Troy quickly look the other way. So much for being discreet? "I wasn't sure how tonight was going to go." She said nervously.

"It's alright. I think it was very smart. I mean we talk on the phone but other than that we really don't know each other." Zeke said with a small grin as he placed his hands on the table, palms down.

"My friends think I'm crazy. I feel like no one understands," She said with a shrug, "My roommate thinks all relationships online are just smoke and mirrors."

"Well, I feel like I can be honest with you," Zeke said with a shrug. "I mean we've talked about things I wouldn't admit to my own preacher."

"You go to church?" Sharpay said with a wince.

"Not all the time," Zeke chuckled as he held out a hand to touch hers lightly. "I go once in a while. Kind of like a checkup. It's good for the soul to confess your sins to someone every now and again."

Sharpay looked up at his chocolate brown eyes, for the last three months she dreamed of looking into his eyes, she would catch herself fantasizing about him at all hour of the day wonder just what those chocolate brown eyes would think if they saw her. "So art major?"

Zeke nodded, "My dad thinks I'm wasting my life away," he tapped the table quietly, "I like the arts, I like the idea of connecting lots of different people with one concept." Zeke let out a breath, "It's a always relatable, especially in a world where everyone feels like they don't belong at one point or another."

"I know the feeling." Sharpay said with a smile as she looked at his hand lightly touching hers. "I never really belong, kind of like I have my feet in two totally different worlds."

"What is it that you do, I mean I know you act but is that all?" Zeke said with a curious expression.

"Well," Sharpay looked over at Ryan and Troy who were quietly sitting both drinking there coffee. "I mean I've done some acting?"

"In what?" Zeke said motioning for a waitress.

Sharpay's mouth hung agape as she scrambled for something to say. "Oh, you don't want to get into that just yet," She said with a nervous laugh.

Zeke smiled, "Are you struggling to find work?"

"No," Sharpay pulled her hands away and scratched at the back of her head, "I mean you know jobs come in every so often," she added looking again over at the boys.

"I knew a couple of actors, enough to know what it's like," Zeke smile dimed a little, "Some of those acting gigs only pay like scraps." Zeke shrugged his shoulders, "If you don't mind me asking how much was you last gig."

Sharpay's phone Chimed as she looked down to see the message.

_You're smart, you're beautiful, your everything a man could ask for in a woman and if you can't see that then I'm more that positive that he will. Just remember to be honest. Don't lie to him. _

Sharpay let out a sigh, "We need to talk about something," she said looking up at Zeke. "I'm not sure if I can tell you just yet, but I will, I plan to. Until I can, do you mind if we just not talk about work right now."

"No problem." Zeke smiled at her and she felt a warm glow coming over her. "We can talk about anything you want."

Sharpay's breathed hitched and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know normally, I'm not this shy."

"I think it's cute," Zeke said with grin that shifted into a chuckle. "You're gorgeous,"

A blush came to her cheek. "Do you always say all the right things?" She said with a giggle.

"Just to you, right now." He said biting his lip. "I feel like we've known each other forever. I feel like everything moment of just waiting to meet you was worth it."

Sharpay shoulders fell. "I've wanted to meet you so bad." She said with a small pout. "I was scared."

"Are you scared now?" he asked folding his hands together and holding them to the table.

"No." Sharpay said with relief. "I feel butterflies in my stomach."

"Me too." He said with a nod.

Their eyes met again and they both smiled, "I like the butterflies." Sharpay said as she placed her hands on the table and reached out her right hand. Zeke eyes dropped to her hand and he slowly let his hand hover over hers for a moment he took in his turning it so he can rub her knuckle with his thumb.

"I Love the butterflies," Zeke said.

Gabriella put her cell phone down and looked back up across the table at Evan who was sipping on his drink and watching her cautiously.

"Sharpay?" he said with a raised brow.

"Yeah, she's meeting her secret admirer tonight." Gabriella said with a wave of the hand, reaching for her drink she lifted it to her lips.

"Alone?" Evan paused.

"No," Gabriella said lowering her glass. "Troy went with her," Gabriella said looking down at the table's silverware. "I know you don't like him."

"Is that why your avoiding?" Evan said with raised eye brow. "I can't think of the last time we went two weeks without talking."

Gabriella looked at her drink and traced the rim of the glass with her fingers. "Yeah well, you were ass." She said looking up at him with a smirk. "You needed to be punished."

Evan let out a chuckle as he lifted his glass up to his lips. "So what's this about your script being optioned?"

"Well," Gabriella said with a shrug. "This guy, a friend of George's was reading my script and he thinks we can make a movie to take to Sundance."

"Do you," Evan said placing his drink down and leaning back in his chair.

"I do." Gabriella said looking around at other people at the restaurant, people actually out on dates and holding hands across the table, looking at each other over candle light.

"Then you will, you mange to do everything you put your mind to." He said with a smirk. "It's what I admire most about you."

"Yeah," Gabriella said with a shrug. Her eyes settled on a older couple in the corner of the restaurant sitting side by side in the booth. "Sometimes I like to watch people." She said with sigh. "Keeps the humanity flowing."

"As if you have a lack of it?" Evan said raising a brow. "I swear if it were possible you'd save all the puppies at the pound if you could." Evan said with a chuckle. "You can't help yourself, when you see someone in need you pounce."

Gabriella laughed a little as she lifted her hands to her neck to message the sore muscles. "Troy isn't a puppy."

"I know that, do you?" Evan said with grin. "You not going to keep him are you?"

"What's to keep," Gabriella said with an annoyed tone. "Everyone keeps asking me about him, there is nothing going on between us."

"Right." Evan said as he nodded his head. "Emma told me you gave Niki the dagger eyes last night when she put the moves on Troy."

"That's because Niki is a slut." Gabriella countered.

"Down girl." Evan said looking around as a few on lookers glanced at them with annoyance. "Niki is Niki," Evan said with a shrug. "she'll get bored."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "That doesn't make it right."


	14. Chapter 14

Troy picked up the old guitar he found in the closet while looking for a hammer. He ended having to run to the store so he could hang up a curtain in the living room. How they made it this far without having any tools in the house was amazing. Shaking his head he strummed the guitar gently. In high school he was in band for all of one summer. Looking up at the blank wall he thought back to that summer, hanging out in his friends garage. Signing and messing around with their instruments. Not a care in the world. Pre-Angela.

His fingers strummed the guitar again searching for some kind of purpose. Then quietly a song from the past came forward. "I died so many years ago, But you can make me feel like it isn't so," Troy sang softly as he strummed the guitar, his eyes watching his fingers move. "That's great, But I don't wanna play, 'Cause being with you touches me, more than I can say and since I'm only dead to you I'm saying stay away and let me rest in peace." Troy picked up the tempo memories intertwining with emotions. "Let me rest in peace, let me get some sleep let me take my love and bury it in a hole 6 foot deep."

A sharp knocked jerked his attention and he slammed a flat hand over the cords as he looked up to find Gabriella in the door way. "Buffy fan?"

Troy let out a sigh, "I didn't know anyone was home," her hair was pulled back in a low pony tail, she was wearing low rise jeans and plain white t-shirt. Her clothes were so ordinary and yet on her they looked anything but.

"Well, we just got in." Gabriella said leaning on the door frame, she was bare foot.

"Long day?" Troy asked putting the guitar off to the side. Why was he making small talk?

Gabriella shrugged. "Two scenes, girl on girl action. Nothing too crazy."

Troy nodded his head slowly as the idea began to take form in his head. Her skin on someone else's her fingers along soft skin her lips touching lips and soon enough he was shaking his head to clear the images. "Not crazy at all."

"Do you want to help us make dinner?" Gabriella motioned toward the kitchen. "We're making tacos."

A small smile pulled on his lips and Troy looked around his room and nodded. "Sure thing," Troy dusted of his pants and got off the bed.

"So do you always sit alone in your room and play songs from the Buffy Soundtrack."

Troy rolled his eyes, "Can we just pretend you didn't hear that."

"Sure we'll just put that right up there with the whole masturbating incident and taking pictures conversation." She teased with a playful nudge.

Gabriella and Troy chuckled as they came into the kitchen where Sharpay was chopping up onions. "Hey you two," Sharpay said with a raised brow. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Gabriella said with a smirk. "I call chopping up green peppers." Gabriella said making her way to the fridge.

"That leaves me with?" Troy looked at both girls.

"Have you ever seasoned taco meat?" Sharpay asked.

"A time or too," Troy said with a small nod. "Angela use to like my cooking."

"So you cooked in the relationship?" Gabriella said rising a brow to Sharpay.

"Yes," Troy said shooting Gabriella a warning look. "What?"

"Nothing," Gabriella said walking past him. "I was just asking, it's not often I meet a guy who cooks."

Troy let out a huff and took the meat from the grocery bag, "Well then, prepare to be amazed." He said winking at Sharpay. He began to fish out a bowl and some other items. He looked up at the window were a small radio was playing pop rock songs, he recognized the iPod in plugged in.

"So about Zeke?" Gabriella said with a raise brow. "Someone still hasn't dished the goods?" she teased splitting the green pepper in half.

"Well he really sweet, and charming. And funny. And smart. And built. And tall." Sharpay giggled a little and then went back to chopping the onion.

"I don't know he looked a little short." Troy smirked in Gabriella direction as he brought a bowl to the table so he could season the meat.

"Well we knew all the boring stuff about him, what's the dirt and don't leave out the details?" Gabriella said with as she chopped.

"And when she says that she means anything remotely sex related you can leave out." Troy said looking at Sharpay with raised brow before adding the seasoning.

Gabriella narrowed her eyes at Troy then at Sharpay, "He's no fun." She said with a pout.

Sharpay rolled her eyes, "We didn't have sex." Sharpay let out sigh, "We had coffee, we went for a walk."

"How long have you guys been talking?" Troy asked.

"3 months." Sharpay said with a sigh.

"You've sucked a man's dick in front of a camera after knowing him for 3 minutes but it took you three month to meet a guy for coffee?" Gabriella pointed out and gave Troy a frustrated look.

"That's different," Troy said before Sharpay could respond.

"Thank you," Sharpay said flinging a small piece of onion her way.

"It's all pink in the dark." Gabriella said under her breath.

Troy narrowed his eyes at Gabriella and shook his head. "Are you going to see him again?" Troy said with a shrug. "Seems like you two hit it off."

"Tomorrow we're going to go see a movie." Sharpay said looking over at Gabriella, "Think like a man, act like a lady I think it's called?"

"Why cause he's black?" Gabriella said with a confused expression.

"Oh my god." Sharpay quickly covered her mouth. "I just suggest a movie because it was a romantic comedy you think he think I'm racist do you?"

Troy looked from one girl to the other. "No." He said with a shrug. "It's a chick flick." Troy smiled. "It has nothing to do with his race."

"Yea beside you stared in My Big Black Boyfriend." Gabriella smiled. "Wasn't there like five black guys in that orgy?"

Troy shut his eyes and cursed under his breath, "Do you have any kind of filter or is it just a straight line from your vagina to the mouth?"

Sharpay let out a loud laugh as she tossed her head back in laughter. Gabriella mouth hung agape as she gave him a shocked expression. "Wow," she said as she fell into the laughter as well. "I think we're a bad influence on you, did you just say vagina?"

"Yes," Troy said a little shocked himself.

Gabriella and Sharpay laughed even harder and Troy began to chuckle himself. Gabriella jumped up and down and ran over to the iPod raising the song. "I love this song." She began rocking her hips as Miley Cyrus played who owns my heart over the radio.

Sharpay tossed her hands up and danced back to back with Gabriella. Both girls began to sing along to the song and danced crazy barefoot in the kitchen. Troy smirked as he watched the girls, as if they were teenagers instead of full grown woman. Free to be who they were as they were not afraid of what people thought of them or changing themselves for anyone.

Suddenly before he knew what was happening Gabriella pulled him into the mix and they were all giggling and fist pumping. Never in a million years did he ever image himself fist pumping in the middle of the kitchen to a Miley Cyrus song.

Gabriella took a sip of her wine before they all collapsed onto the couch. "Dinner was good you guys." Gabriella said lifting her glass in a toast. "I say Friday night is officially taco night."

"Here, here!"Sharpay said with please cry.

"And here is to Sharpay who has hopefully met her dream guy and will be getting laid sometime in the near future." Gabriella let out a laugh and flew back.

"Here, here!" Sharpay said with giggling cheer.

Troy was quite for a moment as he looked at both girls oddly. "I don't get it?"

"What's that?" Gabriella said sitting up on the couch and placing her glass on the table.

"I mean you guys get …'laid' everyday?" Troy said making air quotes around the word laid.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "That is such a guy way of thinking."

"I'm sorry?" Troy looked back at Gabriella with a confused expression.

"Getting laid and shooting porn are two very different things." Gabriella said crossing her legs. "When we're making a movie its more about putting on a show." Gabriella motioned to Sharpay. "When I'm eating her out its straining my neck, jaw, and tongue because I'm coming in on a side angle so that there's room for the camera guy."

"And not to mention sometimes off scene we need help keeping our legs that open for that long." Sharpay rubbing her thighs, "We have to be in some of those positions for hours at a time."

"Not to mention if you're on scene with an asshole." Gabriella added "Everyone who's been in the business long enough as a list and rules."

Sharpay sipped her wine. "I hate breaking in new guys, they never know how to fuck right."

"What's a list?" Troy said looking back at Gabriella.

"People I will fuck." Gabriella said "I am extremely picky about who I sleep with, I don't sleep with anyone outside the business and currently I rotate between 5 or 6 guys, and you have to come highly recommended for me to sleep with someone outside my circle."

Troy made a mental note of her answer, not that he wanted to sleep with her, it just made life easier knowing the possibility wasn't there. He could help but be curious about their lives, interested in the things they must have seen or the stories that they had. He could ask questions for hours if they would let him.

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah sometimes you just don't have chemistry." She said with a shrug. "I met a guy last month and we clicked, you know, we flirted a little we made jokes it was awesome and I was actually looking forward to the scene." Sharpay rolled her eyes and frowned in disgust. "He had no rhythm, we couldn't quite match up and his penis was…" Sharpay hooked her finger, "A little too much to the right."

Gabriella let out a sigh. "I remember him you ended up working almost all day on that scene. Four hours of being posed on a desk doggie style so we can piece together 25 minutes of footage." Gabriella shook her head.

Troy nodded as he took in the information; it was different from what he expected to hear. "If its so bad then why do you guys do it?"

"I like sex, I like money, I like being my own boss." Gabriella leaned back on the couch. "I mean having my script produced is huge and it might even help me make a transition to the main stream but I'm always going to be a porn star at heart."

"I like being watched." Sharpay smirked. "I mean it's fulfilling fantasies I'd never have a chance to otherwise." Sharpay said with shrug.

"What do you mean?" Troy asked taking a sip of his wine.

"Well when will I ever get the chance to be in the middle of a gangbang where I control everything and everyone is clean and professional." Sharpay said excitement, "Plus I've had sex in some strange awesome places."

Troy nodded and shook his head. "I guess that's a plus."

Gabriella shrugged. "I mean don't get the wrong idea, we learn to master our bodies in a way lots of people don't, we get to experiment , feel new things and take those feelings to an extreme. When you find the right partners like I have it becomes enjoyable because you have that familiar but different chemistry with everyone."

"What about relationships, I mean like your marriage did it end because you wanted to do porn?" Troy asked looking back at Gabriella.

"No, Ricky was just as ass." Gabriella said with a shrug. "When I decided to do it, it was after that year I spent in jail, I was at my lawyers house and he had some porn sitting in his home office and I simply asked if he knew anyone." Gabriella smiled and shrugged. "He introduced me to George and the rest was history."

"You spent a year in Jail!" Troy exclaimed.

"Drug trafficking," Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Just another reason for my failed marriage to Ricky. I mean I got out on good behavior and overcrowding."

"You spent a year in jail."Troy said looking back at Sharpay then at Gabriella. "How am I only just now hearing about this?"

"Well I don't know?" Gabriella reached for her wine glass and lifted it to her lips. "Does that bother you?"

"God no, I just have like 50 new questions." Troy said looking at Gabriella with a shocked expression. The girls giggled and Troy shook his head, "I mean you guys just live in this new amazing world that I just can't image."

"Well what about you," Sharpay asked kicking off her socks with her toes. "How is that job of yours?"

"It sucks," Troy said with a laugh, " I mean this girl Sam, she's seventeen and she's real cool to talk to and she really want to learn about photography but I need to start pulling in some cash or else I'm just not going to make it." Troy said with a shrug.

"Well I can always send some girls your way?" Gabriella said with a shrug.

"Have you ever thought of doing pretty girl photos?" Sharpay asked.

Troy raised a brow, "I'm afraid to ask?"

"Well be we go into our scenes we take pictures, like a photo shoot for the movie cover and posters." Sharpay said holding out a hand.

"Their called Pretty Girl Photos," Gabriella added.

Sharpay shrugged, "If you're as good as you say the industry is always looking for a good camera man, someone who isn't a slime ball."

"Yes," Gabriella said with a disgusted frown. "Some guys will only take pictures of you with your clothes off or will only do it for sexual favors."

"It puts that dark creepiness into the industry," Sharpay shivered and then stretched out with a yawn.

"Say the word and I know a few girls looking to get there head shots taken, you can charge like grand for one photo shoot for like three hours, start off small then go big." Gabriella said with a shrug. "A guy like you could make a killing."

"A guy like me?" Troy questioned.

"You're a sweetie," Sharpay said with smirk. "Girls will adore you,"

"Yeah you're… a real gentlemen." Gabriella said with a small shrug.

Troy thought about for a moment and then slowly began to see the possibilities. "You know what, let's do It." he said looking from Gabriella to Sharpay. "Let me get some cards made up and we can go from there."

"Deal." Gabriella said holding up her glass. "To Troy someday paying his half of the rent."

"Here, Here!" everyone cheered.


	15. Chapter 15

Ryan sat in the booth looking over the drink menu."So what's this sobriety kick about?" he said raising a brow.

"I'm not sober or anything I mean I can have a drink I just don't want to get wasted." Troy said looking around the table as Chad made a face and looked back down at his menu. "Truth is Gabriella said something about it and I just really don't want to make the girls uncomfortable by walking drunk in the middle of the night you know?"

Chad nodded in understanding."Taylor hates the way I smell after I've had a few drinks, especially with the baby coming."

"When is she going to pop anyway, because it seems like your lady's been pregnant forever?" Ryan said looking around the restaurant for the waitress.

"She's due next week," Chad said letting out a sigh, "Trust me no one will be happier than me when she pops." Chad said reaching for the chips in the middle of the table. "I've resorted to sleeping on the couch myself these last few days."

Ryan shook his head. "I've been shacking up with Lindsey, but I haven't been on a couch for a while." Ryan smirked and chuckled to himself. "At least not in a sleeping position anyway."

Troy winced at the flood images, after shaking it off her opened his eyes and continued. "Who is Lindsey?" Troy said with a smirk as he motioned for a waitress.

Ryan grin grew like a mischievous cat and shrugged, "She's a hot little number I met the other night while I was doing laundry."

The waitress came to the table and smiled at everyone brightly her eyes landing on Troy, "Hello," The waitress smiled as she looked down at her pad then back up at him. "What can I get for you sir?"

Ryan and Chad exchanged glances as they watch Troy order his food and offer the waitress a smile. Once she made the other orders she left the table. Both Ryan and Chad glanced at Troy with curiosity. "What's this, he smiling?" Ryan said shooting Chad a sideways glance.

"You didn't go see Angela did you?"Chad said with a worried expression.

"Oh god no," Troy said with a firm shake of his head. "No, I've just been busy lately with the job and the girls I mean I guess I haven't had much time to think about Angela in the last few days." The thought made him smile, a day without Angela, Gabriella was right? It had happened and he hadn't even noticed it till now.

"So you're sleeping with some one?"Ryan said arching a brow interested in the gossip.

"No," Troy answered with certainty. "I'm not looking to date anyone, I'm perfectly fine being single."

"Yeah, but I mean come on," Chad leaned in. "Your living with Porn stars, haven't you …" Chad made a poking motion.

"What about what we talked about?" Ryan said with a shrug, "Any action on the Gabriella front?"

"Guys," Troy held up his hands. "I haven't slept with anyone, I'm not interested."

"Oh come on, you can't let this one experience put you on the fence about women." Ryan countered coming back into the conversation. "I mean if your switching teams on us, I'll support you but at least give pussy another chance."

"I'm not gay." Troy said annoyingly.

"So then what is it?" Ryan asked. "I mean you said girls, so what do you do when you're hanging out with them?"

Troy shrugged. "Well Gabriella getting her script produced so I've been helping her out with her writing and we talk about things." Troy thought for a moment. "We made tacos, we play video games."

"Wait?" Ryan held up his hands, "You're living with a porn star and instead of fucking her brains out like any other decent man on the planet you playing video games and making tacos?"

"Well it's just not like that," Troy said with a smile. "She's a great friend and we talk about things and she's actually really smart and funny."

"Oh boy," Chad leaned back in his booth and laid his hands flat out on the table.

"Classic," Ryan shook his head and looked over at the bar motioning for a waitress. "I need a shot."

"What?" Troy looked at both of his friends with a frown. "What did I do?"

"You've been put in the friend zone." Ryan said reaching over to give Troy a pat on the shoulder. "You gave her a glimpse of weakness and she took the dick and locked it in a glass box."

"Excuse me?" Troy said a little taken aback.

"Any Idea you had of possibly sleeping with this girl is out the window." Chad said looking at Ryan with a smirk. "I mean you have a crush don't even try to deny it."

"Oh my god, Yes, I mean you just reek of puppies and kittens," Ryan said as the waitress appeared. "Three shots of tequila please."

"Coming right up," The waitress smiled at Troy and offered him a wink. As soon as she was gone Ryan waved a hand.

"They smell it on you. The lack of interest the gleam in your eye, right now most women in this restaurant would suck you dick willingly and you want to know why?"

"Something tells me you going to say it anyway." Troy said becoming a little uncomfortable.

"You're not interested," Ryan said looking at Troy with a raised brow.

Troy nodded, "I am not interested," he said holding his hands up. "In anyone."

"That's what he says now," Chad said nudging Ryan.

"Alright, then get up and go get the waitress's number." Ryan said looking back to find her in the crowd. "She's eye balling you like dove chocolate bar."

"I'm not going to get her number." Troy said tapping his thumbs on the table. "God it hasn't even been three months since I was engaged to be married, I had a solid job, I was heading somewhere in life."

"And you hit the big bad break up wall." Ryan said placing both hands on the table. "Any man in your position would be making up for the last eight years of their life."

Troy was quite for moment as he thought about the situation. There wasn't a situation was there? He looked down at the table studying the oak swirls in the table design. Should he want to be in another relationship? Should he be upset to be in the friend zone? They were friends weren't they? Gabriella wasn't just his friend? wasn't she?

"You see that, Regret." Ryan said pointing at Troy. "Your doubting it aren't you?"

Troy shook his head, "There is no chance of you dropping this is there?" Troy said letting his shoulders fall.

"You had a better chance just getting the girls number," Chad said rolling his eyes as he lean back in his seat at the booth.

Mean while in a conference room with a glass wall of windows overlooking college students sprawled out on the lawn Gabriella watched Jason draw a line on the dry erase board. "So Derek works at the gas station." Jason said pointing at the wall of post its.

"Car garage," Gabriella corrected. "He works on cars, not in a gas station pumping gas." Gabriella tugged at the twizzler between her teeth for and moment and then continued. "It's important because cars are basic to him, there's a manual for it and it's a problem he can solve himself."

"Like basketball, there are rules and ways to play the game." Jason nodded. "That's an amazing portray of someone who always wants control but is grasping at instructions."

"Right," Gabriella leaned back in her chair tugging a twizzler once more from between her teeth. They been going over all the characters and plots in the story for the last four hours. She was exhausted from the creative toll and development.

Jason stepped back from the wall. "Derek wants to protect his sister to save up for his future, to be in all words or less the responsible good guy." Jason came to sit by Gabriella as they glanced up at the board. "This is what producer's dream of the art real stories and real lives."

Gabriella gave him a sideways glance. "A side from this being a work of fiction?"

"You know what I mean." he said reaching into the twizzler bag. "This is how people are, this is what people say and do." Jason picked up the script. "You have a head for people. You can read them and make them up and no one could tell the difference.

"Thank you,"

Jason brought the script close to them. "I have an idea for this part of the script." He said holding it up and beginning to read from it. "It was Friday she had mange to survive the week. The first week was always the hardest she thought as she looked across the table at a guy and girl making out." Jason paused "I'm thinking we could use an actual high school. I mean if we film during the summer it shouldn't be too bad."

"Do we have a director in mind yet?" Gabriella asked as she yanked on the rope candy.

"I meeting with someone later tonight, then I have another meeting tomorrow." Jason said still reading through the scene.

"Am I going to meet him or her?" Gabriella asked cautiously.

"Yea, you're actually going to be spending a lot of time together." Jason pointed to a paragraph and began to read. "Isabella is wearing a brown plaid school girl skirt with a light brown shirt that had a skull on it. The shirt is long enough to cover her so there was no mid drift but none the less she was attractive. Her arm warmers were black and only covered her hands up to her wrists. She had on combat boots and her hair was up in a bun. With lose strands coming down around her face." Jason smirked. "Everything about this girl screams I have a mind and confidence to boot."

Gabriella nodded in agreement and let out a sigh. "She's a misfit who plays on the key to her out casted power."

"No kidding." Jason said with a smirk. "So how would you like to come down and meet with me tonight, I'm meeting with Zeke Baylor."

"I'd love too." Gabriella said with a shrug. "Just let me know when and where."


	16. Chapter 16

Troy set up the camera for the next shot as slow music played in the back ground. A smile came to his lips as he looked towards Emma and held up three fingers, counting down he snapped the picture at one. "Perfect." He said with a smile as he looked up from the picture.

Emma stood against a white wall with a red boa around her shoulders covering her breast and a red thong on. The red against her pale skin offered a glow to her complexion. "Thanks for thanking these, Brie and Misty were right about you," she said with a grin.

Troy took another shot as she smiled. "Not a problem." There was a knock at the back door and Troy looked up. "Just a moment, I'm with a client." He called out.

"It's okay, I'm use to being naked in a room full of people." Emma said as she removed the boa from her shoulders.

Troy turned around to offer her privacy as she put her robe back on. "I want you to be comfortable." He said walking over to his table of light fixtures and cameras. "Photography and film while sharing the same category of art are separate." He said with small grin.

"Okay I'm all covered." Emma said with a smile. "You're such a gentlemen,"

Troy walked over to the door and flipped the newly installed lock and opened to Dan on the other side. "Sam said you put a lock on the door."

Troy nodded. "That would be correct."

"Why do you need a lock on the door?" Dan looked over at Emma who was sitting on a chair putting on her stockings. "Who is she?"

Troy stepped in the way of his vision and smiled. "She's a paying costumer, she needed some head shots taken for her portfolio and I said we could pull it off."

Dan looked over Troy's shoulder. "Was she nude?"

"Covered in the right areas," Troy raised a brow. "The lock is temporary until I can get a dressing room back here."

"Dressing room?" Dan looked from Emma to Troy. "We normally have people change in the bathroom."

"Yes but the bathroom in out there and I couldn't let Emma walk though the studio in her underwear now could I?" Troy said with a small smile.

"Why not?" Dan said looking back at Emma. "We're all adults."

"Sam's 17." Troy said with a raised brow. "Remember Sam, your sister's daughter?"

"Oh yeah," Dan said in a daze as he continued to watch Emma.

Troy gently pushed him out of the office and closed the door behind him giving Emma privacy and offering a chance at talking to Dan. "Dan have you ever thought about branching out into adult business?"

"What?" Dan said still thinking about the girl in the studio behind the door. "This is a place for family."

"Well you might want to tell the families that because no one is coming in?" Sam said coming over to the hall. "We already got four of these chicks who want to come in for head shots at a grand a pop."

"A grand a pop?" Dan looked at Troy in confusion. "What is she talking about?"

"I gave my cards to a few of my friends and they handed them out at work, it's a thousand dollars for studio time." Troy said cautiously, "We have an opportunity here to make some real money at this." Troy held out his hands. "I'm not talking nude photos or shooting anything to explicit, but we're in the middle of the adult entertainment world and I think we might want to consider their business needs."

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "Seems legit to me, wait this means I get paid more right?"

Troy nodded. "This means we all get paid more."

Dan looked at both Sam and Troy. "Is this legal?"

"Yes, I mean all there is, are consent forms that need to be signed and Sam can draw that up in a heartbeat." Troy said with a shrug.

Sam clasped her hands together, "Are we really going to do this?"

"Hold on," Dan said holding out his hands. Anxiety riddled through him as he looked back at the closed door and then at Sam. "Oh my god," Shaking his hands out he brought a hand to his face to cover his lips. "This changes everything."

Troy gave Sam a sideways glance. "We can make this work; all you have to do is mange the studio like always." Troy bit his own lip surprised by his own batted breath.

Dan covered his eyes and then took a breath. "Jesus." He said with an exasperated breath.

"Come on Uncle Dan," Sam coached. "Troy is really good. If anyone knows what he's doing it's him."

"Okay, Okay." Dan held out his hands. "Fine, let's do this."

Sam and Troy clasped hands in excitement and Dan placed both his hands on the back of his neck.

Later that evening Troy was wrapping up his camera case and his equipment when heard the door to the studio open and close. "Sam, I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to look at your shots today, but I promise… " Turning around his sentence died. "Nicki?"

"Hey," Nicki gave a subtle wave, she was wearing a skin tight hot pink dress that hugged her body's curves in all the right places and almost left nothing to the imagination. "Brie gave me your card, said you were taking pictures."

Troy eyes watched her as she walked over to him, her movements were slow. Her hips had a gentle sway to them and her hair was straight her dark strands of hair contrasting to the pink. His blue eyes stilled on her chest, her halter top barley covered and barely seemed to be holding her securely. "The studio is closed." His voice filled the quiet and he wasn't even sure it was his own voice.

"What a shame," Niki's hand slowly crept up his chest his grey rumpled v neck shirt seemed to sooth under her touch. "Maybe you can walk me home?" she said letting her fingers play on his bottom lip. "My cab already left."

Troy took a step back for a moment and then exhaled. "Where do you live?" he asked there was something about the darkness in her eyes that held him at a distance.

Niki's lips pulled into a smile and she let her hands slide down his arms. "Let go out for drinks or something?"

Troy was quiet as he debated the offer with himself. He hadn't been on a date since Angela, hadn't kissed another woman since Angela, he hadn't really shown any interest since Angela. An funny feeling came over him and he suddenly felt guilty. "I don't know,"

"Come on," Niki pressed her body against his. "I don't feel like we got a chance to really hang out last time," she said lifting his hand to her lips. Niki curled his fingers slowly leaving one extended. He watched as she slowly inserted one of his fingers into her mouth as if it were an popsicle rather than his fingers. The moist feel of her lips and tongue felt out of place. Different or off, as if something about it was forced, the first thought on his mind was to wipe his finger immediately.

Wasn't this what the guys were talking about the other day? About him getting back in the game and dating someone else? Was this how it was suppose to feel? Guilty? Guilty of what? Going out for a drink with an attractive woman shouldn't be wrong. He was after all a single man. Wasn't he? Troy nodded "Alright one drink."

Gabriella sat at the dinner table next to Jason. "This guy has been known to make some pretty good independent films." Jason said lifting his drink to his lips.

"What has he directed?" Gabriella asked glancing around the restaurant.

"Small films here and there, nothing too main stream. He's looking to get his foot in the door just like you. I'm hoping he really liked the script." Jason said after sipping his Jack and coke.

"Me too." Gabriella said looking at her own drink. She checked her messages earlier and happy to hear from Emma who just about praised Troy in every way shape and form.

"_He is just too cute, so polite and well mannered. He just reminds you of what men use to be you know, before the business, be all this crap." _

Gabriella concentrated on the door to the restaurant as she watched people come in and leave. She had nervous feeling in her gut. She arched her neck a bit stretching out the muscles and made a note to jump into the tub when she got home. Another thought that brought a smile to her lips.

"_And his ass in those Levi's, he is all muscle." _

Her eyes shut and image of Troy seemed to fade into her mind. His blue eyes watching her as she touched herself intimately, His scent, a smile came over her as she thought of his scent. He always smelled like dryer sheets and cotton, the smell mixed with his own musk gave it a raw kind of man like aroma.

"There he is now." Jason said motioning to the man to come to the table.

Gabriella eyes popped open and she felt a slight blush come to her cheeks. There was a steady hum between her legs and buzz in her body. Conjuring something as simple as a man's scent had never does this to her before.

"Hello," the man light chocolate brown eyes seemed to sparkle and he gave a short nod. "My name is Zeke Baylor."

"Gabriella Montez." She offered, finally comfortable with Jason enough to reveal her actual name. According to him it was almost disappointing, like peter parker had taken off his spider man mask. The idea brought a smile to her lips as she took a seat again and became more comfortable.

"So what brings you to L.A.?" Jason asked motion for a waitress to come over.

"Personal business." He said with a slight shrug.

Jason nodded as he sipped his drink again. "So what did you think of the script man?"

Zeke smiled over at Gabriella, "I assume that this is the writer?" he said with raised brow.

"Yes," Gabriella offered glancing at her wine. "I wrote the script about a year ago,"

Zeke nodded. "Well I love the female lead." He said placing his hands on the table. "I mean Isabella's art work is so moving the dimensions and her representation of herself, especially being placed in this small town that's totally outside her element."

Gabriella smiled as she glanced at Jason, "I like this guy."

"I knew you would." Jason said giving her a small wink. "So let talk about some ideas, you know where your heads at and let's see if we can't come to a censuses?"

The waitress came over and Zeke ordered a Gin and tonic then brought his phone out and placed it on the table. They began talking and exchanging ideas it was long before they were on a third round of drinks, writing things down on napkins. Gabriella noticed Zeke expression leaping in and out of the conversation. While he was generally present and conversing ideas clearly it was obvious that whoever he was texting had the priority of his attention. On a moment when Jason took a break to visit the rest room Gabriella took a moment to check her own phone. No missed calls, no texts. Gabriella sighed and looked up at Zeke who had a small smirk on his lips as his fingers tapped across the keyboard of his device.

"Is she pretty?" Gabriella smiled coming to the conclusion that whoever was on the other line was a female.

Zeke paused and looked up from his phone instantly placing it back on the table. "I am so sorry, please forgive me for my lack of manners." He said with a small laugh.

"It's alright," Gabriella shrugged. "New relationship?" she asked. "It's very easy to spot new couples. Giggles, smiles, sudden addictions to your cell phone." Gabriella giggled to herself. "One of my roommates is going through it right now actually."

"Guilty as charged." Zeke said with a sigh. "What about you? I image life in the porn industry might put a damper on your love life."

"Meh," Gabriella shrugged. "I just choose not to have one. I mean when it happens it happens but in all honesty it take a special kind of guy to date a porn star."

"Oh yeah," Zeke frowned. "I couldn't even image it."


	17. Chapter 17

Troy unlocked the front door and stepped inside to the dark apartment. His boot pushed at something on the floor and he looked down to catch a glimpse of a red heel. His eyes looked up and spotted another heel not too far. A dress hanging on the back of the couch his eyes glanced up towards the hall. Sharpay's bedroom door was shut and he could her soft mumbles. She must be talking to Zeke. That must mean the culprit was Gabriella, he remember her heels from some time ago. She wore them around the house as she cleaned. Called it a work out? Troy smiled as he remembered the vision of her in jean shorts and tank top washing dishes not bare foot but in spiked red high heels.

Continuing on his journey to his own bedroom he noticed a pair of red laced underwear just outside the bathroom door. Paused in mid step his pant grew tighter and he felt his heart rate increase. Glancing back at the path behind him a faint smile came to his lips and he closed his eyes as he took a second to compose himself. The door was partially open. She had to know he be home late. She had to know he was going to have walk passed this door.

The faint sounds of music floated on the air. He smelled almonds and vanilla in the air the light flickering into the hall suggested she lit candles. Bracing himself he decided to make a bee line for his bedroom door. His eyes examined the distance from where he was to the door. Eight or nine steps… maybe a solid ten.

Gabriella heard the footsteps stop right before the bath room. She lifted her glass of whiskey to her lips, a small smile hanging there as she imaged him standing out in the hall attempting to cross the bathroom door undetected.

"Troy?" her voice was soft and low. She giggled slightly as he heard him exhale in frustration. "You can walk past the door, I promise both my hands are above water." she said playfully.

Slowly he came into view in the doorway his hands over his eyes. "Hey,"

"Hey there yourself." She said noting the budge in his pants. Emma was right, those pants were snug. "Your home late."

"I went out for a drink with Nicki." Troy said eyes still covered.

"Oh," Gabriella said caught off guard. She placed her glass down on the side of the tub. "How was that?"

"Well," Troy placed his camera down on the floor by the door feeling around with his free hand for the sink. His hand brushed against a pile of stones and they went falling to the floor. "Shit," he mumbled uncovering his eyes for a second to see the mess.

"You've seen me in the bath before." Gabriella said with a giggle as she watched him pick up the stones and place them back on the sink.

"I know, I just…"He let his shoulders fall and he slowly shook his head. Troy dropped his hand and their eyes met. The room was quite for a moment and they both settled.

"See, it's just me?" Gabriella said offering a little wave.

"Isn't this uncomfortable?" Troy said with a shrug.

"If being naked in front of people was uncomforting I think I choose the wrong profession don't you?" She said looking at him with a raised brow.

"Right," Troy winced as he let out a sigh.

"Sit." Gabriella motioned towards the edge of the tub.

"Are you sure?" Troy asked his body was stiff.

"We're friends aren't we?" Gabriella said with a small smile. "Sit."

That's what Troy was afraid. It seemed as though the friendship line flirted daily with the something more. Against his better judgment Troy walked over slowly and sat on the edge of the tub but on the floor with his back against it.

"Whiskey?" she said offering him her glass.

"God yes," he said taking the drink he lifted it to his lips and took a sip. The warm liquor burned down his throat despite the ice cool feeling on his tongue.

"So," Gabriella leaned back in tub. "How was it with Nicki, that's your first date right?"

"Yeah, I guess, I mean I walked her home. It was weird." He said offering her back the glass. Gabriella took the glass and their hands brushed, sending sparks through up her arm.

"How was it weird?" Gabriella asked taking a long sip.

"It felt like I was cheating?" Troy said watching one of the candles. "It was like I just knew Angela would be upset or something." Troy let out a breath. "Or that you wouldn't like it."

Gabriella was quite for a moment as she chose her next sentence carefully. "Who were you more worried about Angela or me?" she asked bringing her knees to her chest.

Troy was quite for a moment. The sound of water trickling of her music playing at a low volume was the only thing filling the silence. "We are friends aren't we?"

Gabriella felt a slow burn begin from between her legs and work it's way up. "I consider you in my top five." She said jokingly.

"Right," Troy said with nervous chuckle. "I guess I just thought it might hurt our friendship?"

"Well Nicki is a lousy lesbian, she can't lick a pussy right to save her life, but as man pursuing some female attention Nicki has great …attributes." And by that she meant Nicki was simply a pair of tits with legs. Gabriella suddenly had a bitter feeling.

Troy eyes were wide as they watched her in horror. "You've slept with Nicki?"

"We've done scenes here and there." Gabriella said with a shrug, "She's great at threesomes."

Troy gluped down some air, "So you guys aren't like.." Troy bought a hand to his face and let out a sigh. "Involved or anything?"

"Are you?" Gabriella asked raising a brow. "Nicki and I are co-workers it's my job to be gay for pay."

"Gay for pay?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I'll do a girl if the money is there, if it's a fun scene and she's good looking. But I prefer penis."

Troy quickly looked away. "Good to know I guess?"

"You really don't watch Porn do you?" Gabriella asked with a raised brow.

"I mean Angela didn't like porn so we just never brought into the house and I mean it's never really been a big deal to me." Troy said looking back at her slightly keeping his eyes on hers. "There is nothing wrong with that is there?"

"Did you use to?" Gabriella asked looking at how much whiskey was left in the glass and placing it down by the tub. "You know before the A days?" she was getting pretty sick and tired of hearing her name. To be honest it wasn't because of what she had done, it was because he still loved her and given the chance she knew Troy would give anything to have that back.

"I think I use to." Troy said with a smile. "I mean when I was a teenager of course." Troy sighed and brought his knees up to place his head in his hands. "God, I haven't been on a first date in eight years."

"First time for everything right?" Gabriella said with a soft tone. "Emma said you were amazing today."

"Right," Troy said shaking his head. "I forgot what it was like to take pictures. Not just propped pictures but actual pictures." Troy smiled. "I loved it."

Gabriella felt herself smile, she watched his features in the candle light, he seemed softer in the glow, not as stiff, or tense anymore. The stubble on his chin caught her attention from the first morning where he was cleaner cut and just more controlled. The man sitting on the bathroom floor seemed more relaxed, looser, clam. "Did Angela like it when you shaved?"

"Yeah," Troy hand instinctively graced his chin. "She hated the stumble."

"I think it makes you look handsome." Gabriella said tilting her head a bit.

Troy turned a bit to face her. "Thank you," he said with slight nod.

Gabriella smiled as she lifted her hand full of bubbles and blew him them his way. "Just don't let it go to your head." she teased as he jerked and flinched from the soapy suds flying his way. She could hear his chuckle, a full chuckle deep and from his belly rich with careless indulgence.

Troy settled back against the tub this time a smile on his lips. He hadn't laughed in so long and being around her was just a reminder of how much he'd changed. How much being with Angela was about please someone else and not being himself. "Can I ask you something," he asked looking back at her as she lay back in the tub, bubbles lapping in the water against her skin, her hair was wet, heavy ringlets of curls surrounding her face.

"Anything?" she asked with a small smile.

He admired her charm, something about it at times seemed almost dangerous and other times such as this he found it to be completely innocent. "If we hadn't become friends and you didn't know me. Would you give me a chance?"

Gabriella shrug, "I find you very attractive, but I don't sleep with strangers."

Troy raised a brow in confusion. "I don't understand…"

"You have a better chance of us sleeping together as friends then as strangers," Gabriella stretched out in the tub, "I haven't been in a relationship in pass 10 years. Let alone a date with someone I don't already know." Lifting her leg from the water Troy listened to the droplets of water dripping off her skin and falling back into the water. He was memorized by the glow of her warm skin creating a stream from the water. "I'm a porn star." Gabriella's foot slowly dipped back into the water. "I'm leather and lace, the idea of pleasures granted and fantasies to be tasted. An image on the screen, kept to youself, there in the mind of every man in permanent bliss and ecstasy from their touch." Troy watched her lips as she spoke slow and quietly as if relieving a secret of the ages. "No one wants a relationship from a porn star."

Silence followed and Troy watched the grim expression on her face as her eyes watched him in return. There was something in the confession that had to be noted. She was aware of her sexuality, aware that at any time she could use it to her advantage. It was in that moment that Troy realized this woman was making a choice not to use it on him. The candle light flickered across her features, and Troy stood up hovering over her as she lay in the tub. "However true that might be, I'm sure you play a defiant roll in not letting that change." Troy glazed dropped to the murky vision of her body below the water and bubbles. "You told me that I changed everything about me for one person and how foolish that was, but I get the feeling that your marriage failed because he tried to change you."

Gabriella knees emerged from the water and with one push her body began to rise. "You might be right about that," she paused as the full impact of her naked body filled the air between them, her body glowing in the candle light. "I'm not one to be domesticated" Gabriella said with a playful smirk.

Troy's pants began to hurt but he remained still and he didn't move. His eyes remained on her brown eyes even though he knew he had her permission to look if he wanted to. And something in him wanted to. "Not yet anyway," he managed to say in a low husked tone.

Gabriella lips curled as she stepped out of the tub. "Is that threat or a promise?" she said with small smile as slowly she reached behind him for a towel.

"An observation." He said his eyes fell to her lips and he felt the electric buzz in the air, wondered if her lips were as soft as they appeared in her flesh was as warm as the stream coming from her skin promised.

Gabriella giggled a little as she slowly patted at her hair with the towel. "I like you. That alone will get you pretty far." Gabriella looked down at his erection strained behind his zipper. "But you might want to look into reliving some of that stress," she said making a hand jerking motion.

"Not that way," Troy said in a husked voice, his body was as stiff as a board and her kept his hand forcibly at his sides.

"Come on, it's not wrong, I masturbate all the time." she said in low voice. "I masturbate every night before I go to bed, sometimes every morning." Gabriella lips pulled into a knowing smile. "In fact I think I'm going to go indulge right now."

"Night Gabriella," Troy smile surprised himself as he watched her slowly leave the bathroom her bare ass swaying with each step.

"Night," she called over her shoulders.

Try as he might to be the gentleman he knew his mother raised him to be he couldn't help but watch her backside retreating from his sight. Chad and Ryan might have been right about the small crush on his roommate but he knew it wasn't going to happen. He was fully aware that this woman wasn't interested in whatever he had to offer. She just got a general high from fucking with his mind.


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning Gabriella was in the kitchen drinking her coffee when Sharpay came into the kitchen. "So anything you want to talk about?" Sharpay said looking at Gabriella with a curious expression.

"Talked about what?" Gabriella said, a nervous jolt flared inside her.

"Oh I don't know, the roommate rule, maybe?" Sharpay said motioning to the door where Troy left earlier for work.

A buzzing noise sounded and Gabriella gave Sharpay a weird look. "I haven't touched him." Gabriella looked around the room at anything that might be buzzing. "Is that your phone?"

"No it isn't and don't changed the subject. Explain last night I came out to get some water, and I see you leave the bathroom naked and two beats after that he walks out." Sharpay shook her head. "What is going on between you guys?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Nothing is going on." She said with annoyance standing up to look over at the coffee table were Troy's phone was buzzing. "We talked about his date with Nicki, and the fact that we have things in common. You know he's actually not that bad for normal kind of guy." She said getting up and walking into the living room to grab his phone off the coffee table to see a 5 missed calls from Chad.

Sharpay looked at her knowingly. "You like him don't you."

"Do not" Gabriella let out a sound of disbelief. "We're just friends." Gabriella rolled her eyes as she scrolled though the phone messages. "Beside he went out with Nicki last night."

Sharpay raised a brow and shook her head. "You and I both know that doesn't mean a damn thing?" Sharpay looked down at her phone. "You're just stubborn."

Gabriella lifted his phone and. "I better go run my errand; if it gets any later I won't go at all. While I'm at it I might as well run this over to Troy. Apparently his friend just had a baby"

"Talk to him about the relationship Brie," Sharpay voice had a warning undertone in it. "I'm serious, he's a nice guy and I think the last thing any of us need is tension in the house if this goes south."

Troy shifted through his wallet for a five as he held his apple in his mouth. With success he pulled one out and handed it to the sales lady at the counter. "Thanks," he said using a now free hand to remove the apple and the other to put his wallet away.

Turning around to leave the store he spotted a familiar face in one of the aisle. His heart stopped and his smile fell. It was Angela. She was holding a box of pancake mix and reading the label. Her hair was down, around her face like angel he skin had a glow to it. Her lips were purged with sin and swollen possibly from someone else's kiss. She was wearing a blue tank top and grass green skirt. Before he could bring himself to move she looked up.

A frown came to her lips and a feeling inside him dipped from his stomach to his feet leaving the contents mangled in the in between. But then in a moment Her eyes seemed to find something about him that brought a small smile to her lips and she nodded in acknowledgement.

Taking a gulp of air Troy took a step towards her, her skin was glowing, she was happy to see him. His shoulders dropped a little and he began to return the smile. She had love in her eyes, her cheeks flushed and green in her eyes sparkled almost like the first day they met.

Before either of them could say anything a man in black t-shirt resembling someone along the lines of a Dwayne Johnson wanna be, came up from behind her and brushed some hair from her shoulder leaning over to nip at the skin expose. A bigger smile came over her lips and she giggled as she turned to face the man. Their lips met and Troy was as the man's hands came around to grope her ass.

The action made Troy turn around abruptly and leave the store. His face meeting the fresh air Troy leaned against the brick building. His eyes looking out into the street watching cars pass by. His stomach knotted his hands were trembling. "I'm such an idiot." He mumbled turning around and hurling his apple into the wall with enough force that it smashed into three pieces.

The rest of the day was push and pull on his emotions, he felt as if everything was upside down. Frustration laced with embarrassment.

"Hello," Nicki voice chimed in the studio.

Troy looked up from the slicer he was using to crop a photo. "Nicki?" he said with a raised brow.

"Miss me?" she said with a smirk as she walked towards him. She was wearing a bright blue dress, her long legs in a pair of blue heals. Her hair was pulled back in pony tail showing off her shoulders.

"Not in the mood Nicki." Troy braced himself for her protest and he walked away from the slicer to meet her half way.

"Why in such a bad mood baby?" Nicki said raising a brow.

"I really don't want to talk about it." Troy said walking around her. Nicki hand caught his and he stopped turning to face her.

Her free hand coming around his neck rustling it's way up through his hair. "I don't want to talk." She said with naughty grin before leaning up and placing her lips on his.

Troy was still for a moment. His body resisting the sexual pull of Nicki, only his resolve began to disappear. Voices in his head pulling him in twenty different directions, telling how he should feel, what he should be doing, the nagging images of Angela happy and loving someone else. He should allowed happiness. He should be about to have guilt free sexual relationships. Everyone else did, why couldn't he? His hand came up to her hips lifting her so her leg wrapped around him he moved forward using an arm to clear his desk as he rested her on top of it.

"Oh god," Nicki moaned as his lips went to her neck, she arched herself into his hands offering her body to him. Promising him satisfaction in every way a woman could give it.

Troy hands reached for his fly unzipping his pants, in hurry to be inside her, to feel something, anything. His kisses continued keeping himself busy not wanting to think about it anymore.

Nicki pulled a condom from her purse and ripped open the packet pulling the condom out she reached down and after two strokes of her right hand she used her left hand to put the condom on him. Troy closed his eyes as the feelings pulsed through him. The voices in his head got louder, the images of Angela flashed before him. All those memories of every touch, whisper, giggle, or moment of tenderness melted inside him. Opening his eyes he focused on Nicki as she sit up on his desk her leg open welcoming him in as she shrug off the straps to her dress.

Their lips found each other's again in sloppy wet kiss his eyes shut and suddenly thoughts took on a new form, brown eyes flashed through his mind, just glimpse, the they lingered.

"Fuck me, Troy" Nicki voice sounded faint and in the distance, the blood in his body rushing louder draining out the noise. In one push he was inside her, and it wasn't enough. Pushing her back some he adjusted himself at the edge of the desk and grabbed her hips pulling out and pushing in this time harder. Nicki moaned in pleasure his name coming from her lips.

He thought back to Gabriella in bath tub, that night seemed so long ago. The candles flickering on her skin the music laced with drums and flutes made it more real. Her lips parted, her eyes closed. Troy felt a spark, something of feeling. Pulling out he pushed in again. Gabriella was standing naked before him water dripping down her body. His rhythm became more rushed; his movements firm as he pushed into her images of Gabriella flooded through him, her smell, her skin, her smile. Like pictures they flashed through his mind as he pushed into climax.

Before he could register what had just happened. It was over. Troy breathing was fast and shallow as he looked down at Nicki who was arching back in pleasure. "That was amazing." She said with a smirk. "I like a man who's a little possessive and knows what he wants."

Troy didn't say anything truth be told he didn't have anything to say.

Gabriella stood outside the studio looking in. This was the right address, she thought as she looked back down at one of the cards he'd given her. Biting her lip she looked around at the surrounding brick buildings. She'd changed from her running gear this morning to short black shorts and loosely buttoned up jean blouse with the sleeves rolled up. Lifting her sunglasses she let out a sigh and with a small shrug she pulled the door open and the sound of a bell over head went off. The room was crowded with framed photos and props. Her eyes scanned for any signs of life.

"Yo," a teenager with green streaks in her hair appeared from a back room lugging a roll of what appeared to be fabric. "Nice kicks," the girl said motioning to Gabriella's shoes.

Gabriella smiled as looked down at her own brown leather combat style boots "Thanks," looking around the front room she noted all the items laying around. "You guys remodeling?"

"Troy's making this place a studio," The girl said with a smile. "He's really flipping the place around, have you seen his work?"

"Pictures here and there," Gabriella said with curiosity as she looked at pictures against the wall. "What are these?"

"Troy's landscape work," The girl smiled as she excitedly made her way over. "Sam," she offered holding out her hand.

"Gabriella,"

Sam pulled out a few pictures, "We're displaying some work and trying to draw in costumers."

"These are gorgeous," Gabriella said with shock.

"I know, the man is a genius. He's helping me create my very own portfolio." she said raising a brow as she thought for a minute. "In fact you look familiar, you been here before?"

"Roommate." Gabriella with a smirk and admiring the Sam outfit covered in skulls and metal clasps hanging off the fabric.

"Right," Sam smiled as she sat down onto her chair letting roll the rest of the way to her desk and reached for the phone. She was quite for a moment and then she popped a bubble with her gum. "You got company boss." Charming Gabriella thought as she examined the girl with curiosity. Imaged of Isabella seem to take life in the face of the female as she hung up the phone. "One minute,"

Just as she said that the door to the back room opened and Nicki came out adjusting her dress. "Nicki?" Gabriella said with a sudden surprise.

"Gabriella," She said with a smirk as she brushed passed her and out into the street.

"I hate broads like that," The teenager said as she raised a brow and shook her head. "You can go in now," she said looking up at Gabriella.

"Thanks," Gabriella said watching Nicki through the glass windows.

"Nice to meet you," Sam called out.

"Same here." Gabriella said walking past her and toward the back room she assumed was Troy's office. Walking in she closed the door behind her and took a look around. The room had brick walks, and lots of open space. She noted a few boxes in the corner and racks of clothes and more props. Looking up she noticed some photos framed and hung up on the walls. One picture with her and Sharpay dancing in sync to disco fever side by side in their living room. A few steps down was another picture of five girls toasting champagne in back of a limo. Gabriella's lips pulled into a smile as she found the one with him and her, her lips purged out, eyes at the camera and his smile crooked as he watched her.

"Gabriella!" The voice caught her off guard and she jerked looking towards the desk where Troy stood still in the mist of collecting things that seemed to have been wiped off the top. His expression was tense and frustrated, embarrassed even. Her smiled faltered as she looked back at the door where Nicki had just left.

"Sorry to interrupt." She said turning back to him as he stood and placed a stack of not so neat papers back on his desk and picked up some runaway pens.

"You didn't interrupt anything." Troy said walking away from the desk and towards the back where he picked up some lighting equipment from the floor. "What's up?"

"You forgot your phone at home."She raised a brow and let her purse slide down her arm. "Your friend had his baby." She watched as Troy placed the lighting equipment in front of a giant screen that took up the last half of the office. She assumed that this was where he took his pictures. "Nice office by the way. Might need a plant or two but-"

"Taylor had the baby?" he interrupted with in a rushed tone.

"Yeah, I read the first text message," Gabriella said holding up his phone. The faint stench of sex lingered in the air and Gabriella suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.

Troy came up to her quickly taking his phone from Gabriella and scrolling through the messages. "I got to go," he said looking around the office and patting his pockets down for keys. "Shit."

"Looking for these?" Gabriella grabbed his keys from the floor by her foot. "I guess things got a little wild." She said holding them out pinched between her forefinger and thumb.

Troy stood there in silence as looked at the keys in her hand. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think. The disappointment in her eyes was enough to say something was wrong, but he had no clue how to fix it. "Gabriella, I-"

"Don't bother." She said tossing the keys at him.

Troy caught them against his chest, wincing at the pain. "Gabriella wait."

She took off for the door; crossing her arms not really sure if she had the right to even be frustrated. She felt betrayed, disgusted, cheated on and She didn't like. It wasn't like she had any claim on him, it wasn't like she didn't know Nicki might sleep with him. There was just a part of her that thought more of him then that, but at the end of the day a man was man.

"Wait, wait, wait." Troy hand press against the studio door slamming it shut as she pulled it open. "Damn it."

Gabriella stood still her hand up in fist by her chest as she looked down at the door knob. Her heart was pounding, so much for the 'nothing is going on' theory. The idea of him with someone else was normal, expected, nothing that would make her pause. But the evidence, Nicki's cheap perfume on his clothes, his flushed features, she'd never felt like this before.

"What is this?" Troy asked breaking pause.

"What is what?" Gabriella responded turning to face him her back now against the door.

"Your upset?" Troy said pulling his hand from the door and letting it fall to his side. "What did I do?"

"You did absolutely nothing," Gabriella said looking up at him with a blank expression. What else could she say?

"Sure doesn't feel that way." Troy said in a low voice his eyes watching her intently.

"Well your guilt is your own fault. Not mine, if you want approval talk to Ryan. I not going to high five you, at least not until you smothered you're self in Purell. " Gabriella held up her hand between them. "We're friends, you don't owe me explanations and it would be idiotic of me to even ask for one."

"So that's it then," Troy shrugged. "Everything's fine?"

"Everything is fine," Gabriella said with a small smile pulling at her lips. "You have a baby to go take pictures of; you don't want to keep them waiting."

"Guess not," Troy said with a smirk.

"I'm serious about the Purell, you smell gross." Gabriella said giving him a playful punch on the shoulder.


	19. Chapter 19

Ryan leaned against the window where a mass of babies rested in their beds being tucked in by the occasional nurse. "So when she said fine, was it a fine fine, or a fuck you fine?"

Troy smiled as he watched Chad inside the glass come up to where his daughter was sleeping. "She just said it was fine." Troy said watching as Chad brought her over to the glass. "She's adorable."

"It's an abomination." Ryan said giving the baby a sideways glance.

"She's a baby," Troy said waving to her as Chad held up one of her little hands.

"It's a freak of nature, it doesn't even have knee caps yet."Ryan said looking at one of the nurses walk by. "See my friend over here? He wants to know if you think I'm cute?" he said with a wink.

The nurse giggled as she kept walking past them.

"Seriously?" Troy raised a brow at Ryan.

"What," Ryan shrugged his shoulder, "She was hot?"

Troy watched as Chad put her down in her bed carefully tucking her in. The beaming pride of fatherhood was bouncing off of him. Troy felt a pinch of remorse, he couldn't wait to one day feel the same way.

"So Nicki?" Ryan said bring Troy back to the present. "What was it like to sleep with a porn star?"

Troy opened his mouth to speak and then stopped himself. After a moment of thought he turned around from the glass and leaned back on the wall. "It was weird, uncomfortable and I don't feel good about it at all." Troy let out a sigh, "I'm actually kind of disgusted by what happened."

Ryan hand hit is thigh is annoyance. "Only you can make an orgasm depressing."

"Well I've slept with one woman for eight years, this the first time I ever had sex with someone else and it just didn't feel right." Troy said with a shrug. "I thought about Gabriella the whole time." Ryan was quiet as he stared at him for a long moment. "What?"

"Do me a favor, just for educational satisfaction, kiss Gabriella and get it over with." Ryan said in low voice.

"What good is that going to do?"

"It's a switch flipper." Ryan said with a shrug. "If you kiss her she knows you're interested if she kisses back the feeling mutual."

"What if she doesn't?" Troy said with a furrowed brow. "I don't want to ruin the friendship."

"You already did." Ryan said with a shrug. "Rule one about understanding a woman's vocabulary. Fine is never fine, it just means something is wrong and their not telling you."

Troy let out a sigh. "Angela always said everything was fine."

"Yeah well, look how that turned out." Ryan said in a low voice.

Chad came out from the swinging doors. "Did you see her? she's gorgeous?" Chad came up to the glass to watch her sleep.

"How is Taylor?" Ryan asked looking into the room full of babies.

"She's sleeping," Chad said looking back at Ryan, "Four hours of labor, 9 pounds 4 ounces."

Troy nodded, "Any complications?"

Chad shook his head, "She perfectly healthy, they both are." Chad said with a smile.

"What it's name?" Ryan said looking in at the tiny face a small smile pulled at his lips.

"Rebecca Love Danforth." Chad said with a smile. "Rebecca after my grandmother."

"Congratulations," Troy said giving him a pat on the back.

"Thanks,"

Gabriella took the bottle from the cabinet as she turned back to the table. "You know there's a bonfire this weekend." She said walking into the living room. They had been working on the script for three days perfecting it. To say she was impressed was an understatement. This entire project was going somewhere and she burning off energy and staying clear from the house. Time away from Troy, away from the feelings that were betraying her.

"Bonfire?" Zeke asked with a raised brow.

"Sounds like fun?" Jason said removing the pen from his mouth. "When and where?"

"The beach off sunset," Gabriella let out a sigh, "It's a private party only people in the business and some of our closet friends." Gabriella jumped onto the couch the bottle in her hands.

"So this is a beach bonfire with a porn stars?" Zeke asked with a smirk. "I don't know about that, I just started seeing this girl and she's not like that."

"So don't bring her." Gabriella said with a shrug. "Gentlemen we have been pouring over this script for three long days." Gabriella popped open the bottle. "I believe we are ready for a treat."

Zeke took a breath, "I don't know."

Jason clapped his hands together. "Count me in, I don't know about you guys but I need to get Hammered and laid. Replenish the creative flow."

"Now we're talking," Gabriella left out a laugh as she lifted her cup and filled it. "I always do my best work after a hangover."

"I guess I'm in, purely for the pleasure of drinking and watch you guys get shit faced." Zeke shook his head.

Troy stood in front of the bathroom mirror. "So," he said to his reflect bushing his wet bangs out of the way. "I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" Troy looked around the empty bathroom then back at the mirror a grin on his face. "Well then, would you like to?" Troy said leaning on the sink. The fogged imaged blurred by steam and moisture fogged the glass. "Do I know you? Cause you look a lot like my next girlfriend?" Troy said raising a brow.

There was a knock on the door. "Troy come on," Sharpay voice was on the other side. "What are you doing in there I have to trim for my bikini tonight!"

Troy slipped on the sink knocking down some of the Stones from the pile. "Shit." Troy mumbled lifting his hands into fist. "I'll be out in a minute!" Troy called. Troy looked around the bathroom his towel tight around his waist. Tonight was the bonfire, Sharpay had been talking about for the last few days and suggested that it might be a good idea to let loose. He had been doing photo shoots all week working late and avoiding Gabriella just as much as she'd been avoiding him. He wasn't an idiot. She came in after him and went straight to her room shutting the door and not coming out until had gone to work. 

Ryan was coming tonight, excited about the bonfire. He invited Chad but Chad had been busy with his family. Visiting relatives and spending time with his daughter. He was happy. Troy was happy for his friend.

"Troy?" the knock was at the door again and Troy rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright." When he opened the door Sharpay stood there in her pajamas and her hair up in a ponytail. The face to face encounter made him jerk back, the stream from drifting out into the hall.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Me?" Troy placed a hand over his bare chest. "No one," he said nervously.

"Really?" Sharpay said with a raised brow, "Well who ever you're planning to ask out, trash the cheesy pick up lines." Sharpay rolled her eyes "You sound like my lunk head brother"

Troy nodded and watched as Sharpay went around him into the bathroom closing the door behind her. "Right?" he murmured. Just then the front door opened and Gabriella came in tossing her keys and sweater off to the side.

"Gabriella?" Troy said his breath caught.

"Hey," she said walking past him. "Nice towel."

"I-wait-" Troy looked down at his towel and then back up at her as she disappeared into her bedroom. Troy walked towards his room hanging his head in defeat.


	20. Chapter 20

The fire roared in the distance and Troy stood there looking into it. His hands in his pockets as he watched people around him drinking and chasing each other around. He wore a green cotton t-shirt and dark blue trunks. He felt kind of prudish as he glance around at all the skin. The scene reminded him of some beach movie from the 60's only the women wore less and the men's trunks were longer.

"Troy," A familiar male voice came up beside him, Troy glanced over to see Evan his broad muscle sculpted body out on display as woman walked by and admired. Troy felt his body shrink a little in comparison.

"Evan," Troy said with a grim expression. The last time they met Evan hadn't liked him, granted Troy hadn't made the best first impression.

"So I hear you're an excellent Photographer." Evan said with a smile. "I've seen some of your work. I can't help but too agree."

"Thank you," Troy said turning a little to face him.

"I was wondering if you only shoot woman or do you shoot men as well?" Evan said with a raised brow.

"I shoot either," Troy brought his hand out of his pocket. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot." He said holding out his hand. "Clean slate?"

"Alright," Evan took his hand. Evan's hand was firm and strong making Troy feel more inferior.

"Here is my card," Troy said reaching into his pocket with a free hand. "Call in and book a studio time with my assistant, on the house."

"Will do," Evan said with a smile as he watched Troy with an odd admiration. "Where is Brie?"

Troy shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea."

Evan nodded and look back around the beach as if scanning the area. "Well have a good time tonight."

"Thanks you too," Troy said watching Evan walk past him and disappear into a crowd of men and woman dancing to California Girls by Katy Perry.

Just then Troy felt a hand on his ass and he jerked in surprise "Troy?" Nicki's voice chimed and Troy winced.

"Nicki," he said with a nervous tone.

"I've been looking for you," Nicki said with a smirk as she came around wrapping her right arm around his neck.

"Nicki?" Troy began his hand came up to hers pulling it down. "I'm sorry but I-"

"I brought you a beer," Nicki said with a smile as she held it out to him. "You look a bit stiff," she said with a grin. "This should fix that, help you relax some."

Troy was quite for a moment and then took the beer from her hands and brought it to his lips for a sip. The cold moisture of it felt good on his tongue and it was easy to down. Smooth and crisp, he felt his muscles relax a little. "Thank you,"

"Want to dance with me?" Nicki said pressing her chest against him. She was wearing a Yellow bikini, which hugged to tight and revealed too much.

"Not right now," Troy said lifting the beer to his lips again. "Maybe later,"

"Want to go for a swim?" Nicki said linking her arm with his as they began to walk side by side. "I know this private little stretch of beach," she said with a suggesting tone.

"Troy!" Ryan came running up to them his button shirt open and his bright red swimming trucks on. "This place is awesome, their doing body shots over there, I drank tequila from in-between a pair of double D's" Ryan said with a smile on his lips. He was in heaven, like a kid at a candy store.

"Ryan," Troy said motioning towards Nicki, "This is Nicki."

"Wow," Ryan said giving her a once over.

"Hi," Nicki said with grin. "Misty's baby brother?"

"Forgive my manners, I don't know which is prettier today, the water, the sky or your eyes." Ryan said lifting her hand to his lips for a kiss.

"You're sweet."

"Sweet on you," Ryan responded.

The urge to puke came to mind as he watched Nicki and Ryan in front of him."Dude?" Troy said raising a brow.

"Well I'm going to go down for a swim, maybe even skinny dip." Nicki said as she walked backwards before spinning around and giving them a view of her ass as she walked away.

"I can't believe you put your penis inside that!" Ryan exclaimed patting Troy on the back. "Well done."

Troy lifted his beer to his lips and took another long sip, looking around at all the random people. His eyes stopped and locked on Gabriella. She was sitting by the fire her toe wiggling in the sand as she talking to a redhead besides her. Her hair was pulled back into a relaxed pony tail loose strands flowing on the nights breeze and the light from the fire adding a contrast to her features that made her beauty radiate.

"Have you kissed her yet?" Ryan said looking in the direction of Troy glaze.

"Nope," Troy said before chugging the last of his beer.

"What are you waiting for?" Ryan said watching the cup go up and come back down. "Girls like that don't just come out of the wood work,"

Troy was about to respond when Emma jumped onto his back. Troy moved forward a bit finding his balance as she giggled wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. "I got the gig." She said with a squeal.

"That's awesome," Troy said with a smile as he looked back at her a little. "Emma was up for a detective role in this new flick."

"Yeah, it's a black and white porno where I get to be like a Nancy Drew or something?" she said with a smile as she jumped down coming to his side and lifting a finger to her lips as she gave Ryan a once over. "I hope you didn't mind Troy but the director liked your shots so much he wants you come in and do the pretty girl photos for the show." Emma smiled at Troy and then turned her attention back to Ryan."Who's your friend?"

"Ryan, this is Emma, Emma, Ryan." Troy said making the introductions.

"We're gonna play volley ball," Emma said as she reached out a hand to finger the sides of Ryan's open shirt. "Interested?"

"Very," Ryan said looking back at Troy with a smile as Emma began to lead him off. "Kiss her!"

Troy smirked as he made his way down to the bonfire trashing his empty cup into a nearby trash can. He needed to talk to her and tonight was the night to do it. Troy was a few feet from Gabriella when he bumped into Zeke. "Wow," he said bracing himself better. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Zeke said with a smile holding out his hand for Troy.

"Yeah, I'm Sharpay's friend." Troy said with friendly nod. "I was the guy at the far away table pretending not to know you two."

Zeke let out a laugh, "That's right, I almost forgot about that," Zeke looked around the beach and then back at Troy. "I came with some of my friends, I didn't really know it was going to be this wild."

Troy nodded, "I know there are half naked bodies everywhere." Troy tucked his hands in his pocket. "So, you meeting up with Sharpay she didn't tell me you were coming?"

Zeke made a face and then looked around. "Sharpay's here?"

Troy stilled and his eyes opened wide. "Who did you come here with?"

"Well I'm working on a project with Brie and Jason." Zeke said looking around the party, "I was looking for Brie, she wanted to introduce me to some of her friends."

Troys blood pressure shot up and breathing quicken in panic. "You know what?" Troy said holding out both of his hands. "You stay right here and don't move I'll go get her."

"Thanks man,"

Troy took off toward Gabriella quickly making his way around people. "Brie?"

Gabriella looked up at him, "What's up?"

"You invited Zeke?" Troy asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah my director, I wanted you guys to meet him actually, is he here?" Gabriella got up and looked behind Troy into the crowd.

"That's Sharpay's Zeke." Troy said in a hushed tone. "You know the guy who doesn't know she's a porn star."

"No it's not, Sharpay's Zeke is a college guy." Gabriella said with a shrug. "My Zeke is a movie director."

Troy placed a hand over his chest feeling the Fabric against his fingers, his body going into high alert. "Well I don't know what to tell you but that Zeke is the same Zeke who showed up the other night at the dinner."

"No,"

"Yes,"

Gabriella looked back over to where Troy was pointing and shook her head. "Where is he?"

Troy jerked as he looked back in that direction. "Shit."

Zeke crossed his arms as he watched Gabriella and Troy talk occasionally looking back at him, he waved. Looking around he smiled as Jason came running towards him. "Man where have you been, come on, you have to do a shot right now." Jason pulled him behind as they moved into the crowd.

"Chug it, chug it, chug it." the crowd chanted and Zeke looked around in amusement.

"Wow." He said watching the girls place shot glass between their breasts. A green bikini caught his eye and he his eyes drifted over contours of her body, the cream skin glowing along the green. Her long blond hair in waves around her shoulders.

"Misty," Jason called. "Load us up!"

"Coming right up!" Misty shouted back.

Zeke watched as the woman in the yellow bikini turned around adjusting a shot glass between her breast. Zeke froze and so did she. "Sharpay!"

The women behind her gasp and man suddenly stepped between them. "Sir I need you to step back, right now."

"Wait, it's okay" Sharpay said pushing her way in front. "Zeke what are you doing here?" she said with a frown.

"What's going on?" Zeke looked around at everyone as they moved out of their way.

"You guys know each other?" Jason said with a shocked expression.

"This Sharpay, my girlfriend?" Zeke said looking at Sharpay with a wild expression.

"You're dating a porn star!" Jason said in amazement.

"I'm your girlfriend?" Sharpay said in a soft voice of shock and fear. Her hand gently touched his arm.

"You're a porn star?" Zeke said shrugged away from her. "Are you kidding me?"

"Zeke, please I can explain." Sharpay bit her lip as she watch Zeke eyes narrow and then look away as soon as he began walking away Troy and Gabriella appeared behind him. Zeke shoved his way through both of them.

"Pay, I swear I didn't know your Zeke and my Zeke were the same Zeke." Gabriella said with a nervous face. "He's a movie director,"

"What?" Sharpay said with a raised brow.

"He directs movies." Troy said in low voice. "He's not a student."

Sharpay lowered her eyes and looked down at herself then back up. "I have to go."

"Pay," Gabriella took off after and Troy stood there watching the scene unfold. Suddenly his body was swept up in a current of emotion. His body felt as if he'd been pushed and Troy stumbled.

"You alright man?" Jason said extending a hand to hold him up.

"Yeah," Troy said with a nod. "I'm good." Troy shook his head and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to shake the feeling off. No luck. Troy followed in the direction Zeke left.

"Sharpay" Gabriella finally caught up with her. "Talk to me?"

"What am I going to do? I knew this was going to happen?" Sharpay twisted her fingers, "God did you see his face?"

"It's shocking." Gabriella said with annoyance. "Yes, he freaked." Gabriella extended her arms. "He just found out you fuck people on TV for a living, it takes time to get that through your head. You gave him what, … all of 8 seconds?"

"Why did he lied to me?" Sharpay said ranking her hands through her hair.

"Why did you lie to him?" Gabriella protested.

"I had a reason!" Sharpay argued.

"And he doesn't?" Gabriella said her voice capping the moment. They looked at each other in silence for a while before Sharpay let out a sigh, "What should I do?"

"You love him right?" Gabriella said with a shrug, "You talk to him, make him listen, explain it." Gabriella shook her head. "You have to talk to him."


	21. Chapter 21

Troy leaned against the rock, it's edges smooth and somewhat ridged by the sand of the beach. His body was moving even though he was still. He looked up to see Zeke sitting on top of the rock. "Hey," Troy said in a low voice.

"What do you want?" Zeke said in an angry tone.

"Hey," Troy repeated a bit more annoyed. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Excuse me?" Zeke turned to look down at him. "How am I the asshole?"

"There is more to a person then their job." Troy said lifting a hand to his chest and feeling the cotton of his shirt.

"Bullshit." Zeke said rolling his eyes. "She's a porn star, we're not talking about someone who picks up dirty dishes at Mc Donalds, or some nanny job." Zeke jumped down from the rock. "She fucks people for a living."

"And in her free time when she's not at work, she's just a normal woman." Troy said with a shrug. "A woman who you found interesting."

"Please this changes everything; she's probably riddled with disease." Zeke said shrugging his shoulders, "Or a drug addict, or worse."

"You are talking about my friend," Troy said taking a step forward, "I suggest you be a little more choosy with what you say."

"You're drunk." Zeke said giving him a push.

Troy stumbled and then paused as the sand under his feet shifted between his toes. The feeling of the cold rough grains under his feet felt so vivid. "Sharpay is one of the nicest people this world has to offer to simply brush her off would be a huge mistake." Troy tipped over falling against the rock his hands spreading out and feeling the surface. "Loving someone and having them love you back is the most precious thing in the world. If you find that, or even think there could be a chance?" Troy fingers rubbed then he let his body rest against it. "Don't let it go, you'll live with what if's the rest of your life." The jagged edge the pulse of the earth, he could feel it, the waves coming in the wind shifting through his hair, his back against the rock.

"You alright man?" Zeke said with an arched brow.

"I don't know," Troy said pushing himself up. "I'm going to go get water."

Zeke watched as Troy left for the group of people in the distance and then back out at the water.

"Zeke?" The voice was soft and her turned around to see Sharpay, her body wrapped in a beach towel. "We need to talk."

He rolled his eyes then with a shrug he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Then talk?"

"You lied to me about being a student," Sharpay said.

"I've been directing for five years, I haven't exactly caught a big break. I didn't want you think I was a loser." Zeke said in a low tone. "You never said you were a porn star."

"I didn't want you to see me that way." Sharpay said crossing her arms. "Most guys either run or get all puffed up on this I screwing a porn star power trip. I wanted you to just know me."

"I don't think I know you at all?" Zeke said rocking on his feet. "You're a porn star."

"It's a life style," Sharpay said with a nod, "One that I am very happy and proud to be a part of. Most of all my best friends and people that I would trust with my life are in the business."

"I'm not." Zeke said, "I'm just a normal guy."

"No you're not." Sharpay said walking towards him. "You to look at me like you've never looked at anyone else and the other night you looked at me like I have something other girls don't. No one has ever looked at me like that before?"

The silence lingered between them and Zeke shifted his feet in the sand looking up at her as she stood there wrapped in a huge towel. Her eyes were so sad and something inside him hurt because of it. "I love when we are talking on the phone and I can tell when you're smiling, it makes me smile. And when I know you're smiling because of me, it makes my whole world brighter."

Sharpay pushed some hair behind her ear. "There may be a million things to smile about, but you're definitely my favorite one."

A smiled appeared on Zeke's lips and Sharpay felt a blush on her cheeks as they stood apart from each other, they're eyes caught up in this hold neither of them could explain. "Sometimes, I just wanna tell you everything; how I feel about you, how much you mean to me, how much I care about you and how much I love you."

Sharpay inhaled sharply. "I love you too."

"We need to trust each other." Zeke said tilting his head to the left. "And I need time to absorb this," he added motioning around them. "I mean I don't understand why?"

"No ever does," Sharpay said with small smile as she stepped closer to him. "But I'll answer any question you have."

"Have you been tested?" Zeke asked.

"Every other Friday," Sharpay said taking another step closer to him. "No one is ever on set without providing an up to date medical clearing of well being and health."

"How many men have you slept with?" Zeke asked bracing himself.

"In my personal life, two," Sharpay said with a smile. "The I lost my virginity to and this one guy I thought actually cared."

"And as a porn star?" Zeke asked.

"96." Sharpay said with a shrug. "I'm not ashamed, I'm not a whore. I have a job and that job is in the art of adult entertainment. Most of all my sexual encounters are faked, or told to orgasm on cue." Sharpay reached out to take his arms sliding down so that she could take his hands, her brown eyes looking into his chocolate brown eyes with a smile as she came closer to him. "I'm a sexual being, I'm comfortable in this skin. I won't do this forever, but for now this is who I am. I'm not asking you to look past it or to accept it. I'm offering you a chance to enjoy it. What you do with it is up to you."

Zeke's hands came up to the knot in her towel holding it shut. She stood still as he undid the knot opening the towel and looking down at her body. His eyes shifted back up to her lips and he paused looking at them with desire and caution.

"Are you scared?" she asked the quite of ocean all around them and the sound of music and people laughing in the distance.

"I'm terrified," he said in low voice, "because even with all that said, I still feel butterflies."

"Me too," Sharpay said, "We could take things slow,"

"How slow?" Zeke said his lips already coming closer to hers.

Sharpay went the rest of the way her lips crashing onto his, his hands quickly discarded the towel and wrapped around her his big hands sliding down her skin and rolling over her apple bottom. His hands gripped her ass and he let out groan as he felt her pushed against him more.

Troy gulped down his 2nd water bottle. His eye sight was blurred, people were dancing everywhere, touching, kissing, some girls had gone topless. Troy jerked as he bumped into people left and right. The mass of people rubbing up against him and bumping into him as he shifted his way through, in an attempt to find a clearing. Every touch was intensified by what felt like 50 million, every sigh and moan and grunt he could hear and feel. The blood in his body seemed to be going 50 miles a minute. Finally falling into the sand he found the edge of the crowd and did his best to crawl away slowly, every grain of sand against his skin was so smooth and silky he wanted to roll around in it. He wanted to be buried in it. Fear laced with arousal and anxiety riddled through him. He managed to get up on his own two feet. He bumped into a solid object, a person, a woman, a red head.

"Troy!" the voice was familiar.

Troy stood and opened his eyes as wide as he could, "Angela," he said leaning in closer to her to see better, she was with the guy from the drug store. They were wrapped in each other's arms and Angela was topless. "What the fuck?" Troy jerked back and shielded his eyes. The motion of the movement knocked him flat on his ass and struggled to stop moving the less he moved the less everything intensified.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" The man asked. The guy stood over Troy, Angela pressed against the man's back.

"Angela?" Troy repeated.

"You know this dude?" the man said looking back at Angela.

"He must have followed us," she said in panic, "He's my crazy ex-boyfriend," Angela pulled at the man. "Go away Troy, It's over!"

"No, no, no." Troy tried to get up, tired to explain. "Help me." he said reaching out to them.

"Whoa," the man jerked back shielding Angela even more. "She said back off man!"

"Troy, what's going on?" Ryan came over his eyes landing on Angela. "You,"

"You," Angela said her anger flaring. "I should have known you'd be involved"

"Oh please, don't blow smoke up your ass sweetie," Ryan said looking her way, "Us being here has nothing to do with you and excuse me is daddy's little princess topless at bonfire hiding behind some Rock wanna be?"

Angela screamed with annoyance and then quickly reached for a towel to cover up."Then why are you here?"

"What the fuck is going on?" Gabriella said coming up them looking at everyone then Troy who was on the ground. "Why is he on the ground?" Gabriella bent down to look him in the eyes and her breath did a sharp intake. "What happened?"

"Ask the Elvira over here?" Ryan said giving Angela the eye.

"Drop dead pig, I should call the cops, he's in direct violation of the restraining order."

"Oh for god's sake," Gabriella got up from Troy's said looked up at the woman behind Rodney. "Rod, take that bitch out of here."

"Excuse me," Angela squealed. "Rodney!"

Rodney sighed. "Brie I'm sorry I didn't know she was going to threaten to call the cops."

"Are you kidding me?" Angela punched his back. "Are you going to let her talk to me like that?"

Gabriella pushed Rodney aside coming face to face with who she assumed to be none other than Angela. "Hey sweetie, wake up, look around, I'm a porn star you're a little girl playing one night with a cabana boy. This is my world not yours." Gabriella yanked the towel from her grasp revealing Angela in her naked glory and causing her to shriek. "Do me a favor if you want play with the big girls bring it, if not take a hint and get off my beach." Gabriella looked Angela up and down. "Not much to look at if you ask me?"

"Amen." Ryan said with a smile as he helped Troy off the floor.

Gabriella went to right side "Are you alright."

"No," Troy shook his head his mouth dry and his eyes half hooded. "Nicki," he said in a harsh whisper. "She put something in my drink."

"Son of bitch," Gabriella motioned to Ryan, "We have to get him home."

"He was drugged?" Ryan eyes widen. "That happens to dudes?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "I better go find Nicki and figure out what she gave him," Gabriella looked at Troy, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel everything." Troy said bringing a hand to Ryan's cheek. "Dude your skin is so yellow." Troy said leaning in closer and then looking back at Gabriella through hooded eyes. "When did you dye your hair pink?" he asked tilting his head a bit.

"He's hallucinating," Gabriella said. "Get him into a cab I'll be right there," Gabriella took off running for the water.

"Sure thing," Ryan looked back at Troy. "Only you would get drugged and have a chick come to the rescue."

"What's with all the pink jelly?" he said looking at the floor.

"It's called sand." Ryan said looking at him with a grim look. "Come on buddy, let's get you out of here."

"Nicki?" Gabriella came up behind her shoving her hard into the waves meeting up on the beach, the roll of the tide pulling her back a little as she flopped around.

"What the fuck?" Nicki said lifting her hands as she shook off some sand.

"What did you give him?" Gabriella said crossing her arms.

"Whoa," Evan came up beside them. "What's going on?"

"She put something in Troy's drink Evan." Gabriella said pointing toward Nicki who was being helped to her feet by some man in red pants.

"Nicki?" Evan said looking over at her, "What did you do?"

"Relax," Nicki said with huff. "God it's like half a pill of X he'll be over it in about three or five hours." Nicki shook her head. "He's fine,"

"Leave him alone Nicki." Gabriella said coming up to Nicki until they were face to face. "I mean it stay away from him."

"Make me." Nicki said with a smirk. "Let's not forget, he's fucking me not you."

"I mean it. Back off." Gabriella said in a warning tone. Turning around she looked Evan in the eyes as he watched her.

"You alright?" he asked.

Gabriella turned around looking at Nicki as she crossed her arms and looked at Gabriella up and down. On a quick spin Gabriella left fist went sailing into Nicki face. The mass of head hair flying about as she sailed down into the sand hand sprawled out to break her fall. Gabriella turned back around towards Evan. "Never felt better."


	22. Chapter 22

Gabriella sat in the show with him a bottle of water up to his lips. "Come on Troy," She said lifting the bottle to his lips. "You have to stay hydrated."

"Where am I?" Troy mumbled in a sleepy state.

"You're at home."

"What's with the rocks?" Ryan asked holding a few up.

"They offer a balance of spiritually." Gabriella said looking up at him, she stripped down to her bathing suit and Ryan helped her get Troy into the house and into the shower. "My mother is very spiritual."

"Is she in the business too?" Ryan asked putting the rocks down.

"The porno kind," Troy said with a slight laugh as he tilted his head back against the tile. "Brown chicken, brown cow." He said as his voice drifted on the last bit.

"Wow," Ryan said with a raised eye brow.

Gabriella shook her head as she adjusted the water. "No, my mother was a seamstress," Gabriella said with a sigh. "Now a days she taking care of my father, he had a stroke last year."

"You send them money?" Ryan asked with a raised brow.

"Yes," Gabriella said giving him a sideways glance, "Don't tell anyone, I got a rep to protect." She added with a smile.

Troy's hand reached up and grabbed at her boob causing Gabriella to gasp in shock from the touch. It was as if electricity shot through her. "Hey there big boy settle down." She said in a low voice removing his hands and placing them in his lap.

"Pass the peas please," he said looking up at Ryan.

Ryan watched Troy in body as the water sprayed across his features. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Yeah," Gabriella sighed a bit. "I mean it's been in his system for at least an two hours so it'll be over soon."

Ryan nodded. "Well this has been an eye opening experience." Ryan said as he leaned against the sink. He watched Troy as he settled against the tile his eyes drifting shut a bit. "So …are you a relationship type of girl?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Relationships are like garage sales: At a distance it looks like it could be interesting...up close it's just a ton shit you don't need." She said lifting her finger to open Troy's eyes. "Stay awake Troy,"

"You care an awful lot for someone who thinks they don't need it." Ryan said opening another water bottle and holding it out to take the empty one from her hands.

Gabriella looked up at him with a raised brow. "He's a good guy, he never should have been on Nicki radar to begin with."

"You sunk my battleship," Troy mumbled as he looked at Gabriella with open eyes. The blue inside seemed to be murky, unclear, not the usual blue she was use to.

"He likes you," Ryan said reaching in his pocket for his phone.

Gabriella shook her head. "He thinks he does." She said holding the water bottle up to lips again, his movements were becoming more active, more alert to his surroundings. The drug was wearing off. "Besides if he's not over his EX then he shouldn't move on. That's playing with someone else feelings."

"Feelings someone claims not to have?" Ryan said in sing song. "But who's keeping track?"

Gabriella let out a breath, her eyes rested on Troy face his eyes still half hooded his hand up and blocking some of the water from his face. "When he looks at me, my heart starts skipping beats, my face starts to glow, and my eyes start to twinkle. Imagine what he would do to me if he smiled." Gabriella said in a low voice. "Even though I promised myself I wouldn't risk the chance of getting hurt again, for some reason, when I'm with him, it all seems worth it." Gabriella looked up at Ryan. "Nonetheless and all things aside, I have nothing to offer him. I'm a Porn Star Ryan, not the girl next store."

"Great movie," Ryan said with a smirk. "Look," there was a pause in his voice as he looked around the bathroom. "The way I see it, you both have more to offer each other than you know." Ryan shook his head. "Don't be so fast to write it off." silence followed for a while. No one saying anything but just watching the water racing down the drain. "I'm going to take off." Ryan said with a sigh, "You got it or do you need my help?"

"We're good, he's should be fine by morning."

"I'll call." Ryan shrugged as he moved a foot up to tap Troy in the arm. "Look alive druggie."

Gabriella watched as Ryan left the bathroom. The sound of the water hitting the tile of the shower floor, echoed in the bathroom. Her eyes fell on Troy as she leaned back against the opposing wall. "You deserve better." She whispered as she brought her knees up to her chest. "You can certainly do better than me."

Time ticked past as she watched him, took care of him. Sharpay texted twice, once to let know that things were working out with Zeke, the second time to tell her she wasn't going to be home. To which Gabriella was grateful, she didn't need anyone else to witness the chaos that she had made of Troy Bolton. Nice guy extraordinaire that she converted to into a photographer for the business and introduced him to people who would take advantage and drug him.

A few hours later the bathroom was quite as Gabriella and Troy rested against opposing sides of the shower wall staring at each other. She'd turned the water off a little while ago, after he stopped humming the splish splash song. "How do you feel?" she asked

"Tired, wet,… stupid." Troy said wincing as he pushed himself up a little bit. "What time is it?"

"4 am" she said not looking up at the clock. "You're not stupid."

"Taking a drink from a stranger," Troy looked at her with a raised brow. "Not the smartest move."

"Shit happens." Gabriella said with a shrug "You didn't know."

"How long have we been sitting here?" Troy asked looking down at his drenched shirt then at her in her bikini. Panic laced through him and he shifted to hide his erection. Even when all the right places were covered he was still reduced to a sexual reaction.

"5 hours," Gabriella said with a grin as she leaned forward and came up close to him. "Let me get a look at your eyes."

Troy did as he was told, sitting still as she came hovered over him her eyes darting back and forth as she looked into his eyes. "You look good," she said with a small nod. As she pulled back he caught her arm the touch wasn't forceful at all, just unexpected. "Troy,"

"The more and more I spend time with you, the more and more I realize I am doing the one thing I told myself I would never do again... Fall in love." His voice was soft as his blue eyes looked softly into her brown eyes. "I promised myself I wouldn't risk the chance of getting hurt again either. But I'm not going to deny that for the same reasons as you I can't think of one that doesn't make this worth it"

"Troy," she said with a small grin as she looked away. "Maybe you should get some sleep and let the drug wear off before you start saying things you'll regret."

"Fine," Troy said in a low voice. "But with the small amount of courage I have left in me I need to do one more thing."

Gabriella breath hitched as she relaxed in his touch. "What's that?"

Troy's eyes fell to her to lips and they both became quiet as he moved in slowly, his heart was pounding and her breath was warm on his bottom lip. For a moment they hovered over each other, lips close enough to touch but not quite filling the satisfaction between them. Then in one push from him his lips pressed softly against hers. His hands coming up to cup her face their wet bodies leaning against each other as they sat on the shower floor. The kiss seemed to be endless, like a magical creation that seemed to pull at them begging for more, like a fire needing air to breath not ready to be smothered. The kiss deepened as he slowly nudged between her lips slightly with his tongue.

Gabriella felt his lips against hers, his hands on either side of her face. Her inside melted into a pool of putty as she leaned into the kiss. Riding on the tide of emotion stirring inside her, her heart was going crazy and her palms were actually sweaty. A moan escaped and she wasn't sure if the sound had come from her or him but she didn't care. He felt too good to be true, this kiss was real, not for show, not of thanks or curiosity this was a 'I've been dreaming about kissing you since the first time we met' kiss. She almost felt her sigh when he pulled away, depriving her of all those feeling.

"As first kisses go," Troy said with a smile as he used his index finger to push some hair from her face. "I've never kissed anyone like that."

"I'm much more of a second kiss kind of kisser." She said gripping his shirt and pulling him towards her. Her lips pressed against his this time she was more eager to take. Her mouth demanding his to open for her, to accept her, to take her, it was terrifying how much she wanted him to take her.

Troy leaned forward feeling her body give in. Troy followed her, letting her lead him. Before he knew what was happening he was on top of her as they moved against each other, his shirt crinkled and heavy from the water and her body sleek and smooth. Another moan escaped between them and Gabriella wrapped her leg around Troy mid section as he moved his lips down from her lips to her chin to her neck, tailing a blaze of fire and hearing nothing but the heavy breathing and heat thumping experience that was her.

Gabriella felt his erection pressing against her stomach as she moved against him, "Troy,"

He let out an hmm as he continued on the exploration to her navel.

"Troy?" She said jerking a bit more to get his attention.

"What?"

"I don't think we should be doing this?" Gabriella said in a worried tone.

"Doing what?" he said as he came back up to her level. "You can't honestly tell me you don't feel that?"

Gabriella smirked. "Oh I feel it." Gabriella said with a murmur. "You're like a teenager?"

"Ha ha ha very funny," Troy said sitting up and pulling her up as well. His vision blurred answer and his free hand went to his head. "Shit."

"That's my point." Gabriella said as she lifted her hand to gaze the side of his head. "You coming off of drugs, let's slow this down."

Troy winced. "I hate to say but I agree."

Gabriella chuckled and Troy also let out a laugh, "Let's make some frozen pizza."

"Deal."


	23. Chapter 23

Troy followed the man through the doors into the house. "So you want me to shoot the PG photos."

"Yeah, the work you did on Emma's head shots was real classy." The man said adjusting his collar. "It's exactly what I'm looking for in these shots."

"Thank you," Troy said as they came into a room set up like a private investigators office. "These are black and white shots?"

The man turned walking backwards through the set. "Yeah, we're filming black and white giving an old classy PI feel to it."

"Hey Troy," Emma said walking past him in her trench coat and skimpy gangster suit. "I'm looking forward to the shoot." She said tapping his shoulder.

"Girls like you." The man said with a smile. "In this world that gets a guy like you really far."

There was that phase again. 'A guy like you' Troy raised a brow as he set his bags down gently. Thing at home for the past two days had been quite, needless to say, he might have screwed things up the other night in the shower. He never seen her leave a room faster, she high tailed it out of there he could of swore she left screech marks on the tile. But it was out there. The ball was in her court. She obviously enjoyed the kiss no doubt about that. That kiss was one been cosmic explosion.

"So you need anything?" The man said turning around and motioning for someone to come over.

Troy looked around at the set and then at his equipment. "No I think I'm all set Mr… ah I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?"

"Frankie," The man said patting the top of his shine bald head. "Call me Frankie."

"Thanks Frankie." Troy said taking the man's free hand and then taking another look around.

"This is Brie, she'll be helping you get ready today." Frankie said with a smile. "My buddy over at Foxy Films lent her out to me as an assistant."

Troy ears perked as he turned around to find Gabriella standing there with a annoyed expression on her face. "Brie?"

"Hey Troy," she said tucking her hands in her back pockets. She was wearing a pair of fitted jeans and black tang top her hair pulled back into a pony tail.

"Great you cats know each other," Frankie smiled. "I'll let you guys set up and we'll start as soon as your ready." He said walking off set and calling someone over to discuss the schedule.

"Assistant?" Troy said with a raised brow.

"I asked George if I could shadow someone. Get an inside view on what happens on the production side of things. Trying to get into directing, George said he'd give me shot if I get the experience." Gabriella looked down at his bags then at the set. "How did you end up here?"

"Emma got me the job." Troy said lifting a bag and unzipping it.

Gabriella looked around the set as she hooked an arm over her right shoulder. She really hadn't had the chance to talk to him since the other night. Granted that was her fault for hiding and avoiding like a cockroach when the light went on. "You ready for something like this?" Gabriella said watching him pull out a tripod. He always carried around so many bags, she'd never really thought about what he actually did with them.

"I'm here aren't I?" Troy said with a shrug. "This gig is offering 9 grand." Troy said in a low voice. "I figured I could put down on a car, pay rent, get a better camera. I don't know."

Gabriella nodded, "You know they're gonna do it right?"

The tripod slipped from his fingers and he reached out failing at his attempt to catch it and flinching as it hit the floor.

"You alright there, Troy?" Gabriella said leaning down to grab the tripod.

"I'm fine." Troy said closing his eyes. "It's fine."

Gabriella set the tripod up and smiled as she watched him pull his camera from the bag and begin to fidget with it. "So I guess this is gonna be a first for you." Gabriella said with a smirk. "You know since you don't actually watch porn."

Troy eyes narrowed her way and she was surprise to a faint smile. "Try not to bask in my discomfort so much," he said setting the camera down and bending to open another case that had lights and different reflectors.

"Well, just let me know how I can help." Gabriella said shoving her hands into her pockets as she watched him pull out a light bulb. "What are all the bulbs for?"

"Flashes of light," Troy said looking at her as he screwed a light into a cylinder like device. "These pictures are in black and white, I want to be able to accentuate the hues of skin tone and shadow."

"Wow," Gabriella said with a chuckle. "You're the real deal huh?"

"Now who sounds uncomfortable?" Troy said placing his device on the floor. "Maybe if you hadn't snuck out at 4 in the morning you might have known we'd be working on the same project."

"I didn't sneak out."

Troy gave her an amused looked as he reached into the bag for another camera. "Go out with me?"

Gabriella let out a small laugh as she crossed her arms. "I think I'll pass."

"Chicken," Troy said as he adjusted another lens.

"Am not," Gabriella said as Emma and a man came out onto the scene. The idea of an actual date with Troy was exciting in the same way that it was terrifying.

"Then go out with me, Saturday night?" Troy said coming to his feet. "What do you have to lose?"

Gabriella watched as he kept his blue eyes on her waiting for a response. "I'll think about it." Gabriella said taking a step back looking over at Emma, "Are we ready?"

Emma nodded as the man stood behind her. "We're ready."

Gabriella turned to look back at Troy, "Are _you_ ready?" She asked with a raised brow as he stared at Emma and then man.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Troy said lifting his camera.

The next three hours was like being in a whole another world to him, snapping pictures of poses leading into the initiation of sex. He was catching it all on film from kissing to the sucking to images of Emma in the throes of passion. He used Gabriella to his advantage giving her one of the lights to hold or a reflector to use adjusting it, showing her what had to be done. She was a quick leaner and already brought experience to the table. She knew what angles were best when how long each position could last, having her there with him took the awkward vibe off the situation. The experience was extremely professional while holding as much passion and personality as a face to face session with someone.

Gabriella watched him work, tried to keep up as he dodge the camera recording and with her direction got the best angles. Working alongside him was exciting from a professional level. Learning the camera lens, the lighting, learning what a reflector was for. The more she learned the more she felt capable of anything. Her dreams of directing were closer to her now then they had been three months ago.

"That was beautiful," Frankie came back onto the scene. "Troy how soon can we see those shots?"

"I'll develop them tonight and bring them to you first thing in the morning." Troy responded as he began packing everything away.

"Do you need anything from me?" Gabriella said looking at either of them.

"Well, I'm going to be moving onto the next scene, nothing I can't show you how to do tomorrow" Frankie said grin. "Maybe you could help Troy, let him show you some of his tricks and tips of the business." Frankie said patting Gabriella on the shoulder gently. "He can show you a lot more at the moment. My next scene is a girl on girl nothing you haven't filmed before."

Gabriella nodded as she looked from Frankie to Troy. "What do you say?" Gabriella said looking back at Troy, "Can I help you out?"

Troy smiled and shook his head. "Of course you can, Sam too young to help with this project and I'm going to need a set of extra hands if I plan on getting some sleep."

"Yes," Gabriella clapped her hand together and then gave Frankie a bear hug. "Thank you so much for the opportunity, I'll see you tomorrow 9am."

"Have fun," Frankie gave Gabriella a kiss on the forehead and then turned back around the set. "Emma, Tommy, that was magic baby," he said extending his arms. "Let's get Jen and Crystal for the car back alley scene."

Gabriella helped Troy carry his equipment into the studio. "So a car huh?" Gabriella said as she laid the bags down with relief. "Oh my god."

Troy let out a low chuckle and shook his head. "Yeah, I miss my car."

"You miss your car?" Gabriella asked with concern. "As in you had one?"

Troy lifted one of the bags and opened it, to take out the camera. "A Dodge Challenger," he opened the camera and pulled out a roll of film gently. "I'm thinking maybe a Ford this time around."

Gabriella nodded as she leaned against his desk. The last time she'd been in his office was day she walked in after he and Nicki had gone to town on the desk. Gabriella instantly pushed herself away from the desk. "So you talk to Nicki?"

"Nope." Troy walked across the room to a door with a red light bulb over it. "Before we go in here," he said catching her attention once again. "We have to prepare the photos."

"Right," Gabriella said walking over to where he was.

"This is an enlarger, before you do anything, scope out the enlarger. You're going to have a few different knobs and levers, and you'll need to know what each one does. Because all enlargers are different, I'll just tell you a few different parts there will be. This will help you feel much more comfortable when actually printing." Troy said point at a machine on the table.

"Printing?" Gabriella said with a raised brow.

"This is your timer." Troy held up a small yellow chick like toy.

"What is this?" Gabriella took it from his hands and played with it for a moment.

"Like I said, a timer." Troy repeated with a smile as he took it back. "Come here," he asked as he motioned to where he was standing.

Gabriella walked over and stood at the edge of the table looking down at the machine. "This looks really weird."

"This is a Focusing knob," he said taking her hand and placing it on the actual knob. "This will move the bellows," he said pointing to the lens. "Up and down from the negative to focus it."

Gabriella remained still as she focus on his touch more than what he was saying. It was like electricity was surging between them, flowing like an open current making her lady parts tingle.

"This is a Head knob" he said moving her hand once more as he stood more behind her. "This knob will either loosen the head so you can slide it up or down."

"Why would I do that?" Gabriella said in a low voice as she tried to pay attention to the machine.

"It changes how large the picture is." Troy said in a low voice into her ear.

Gabriella closed her eyes as she felt the brush of air on her neck. "So," she said breaking the loud silence. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

Troy paused and then leaned in closer. "Is it working?"

"Maybe?" Gabriella said turning slowly around to face him.

"Then maybe I should try harder." Troy said taking a step forward and locking her in by placing his arms on either side of her, resting on the table.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Gabriella said in a slow drawn out way that made it sound more like a tease.

"Go out with me on Saturday." Troy said looking at her with a raised brow.

"No," Gabriella said hesitantly.

"Why not?" Troy asked with a smirk.

"Why should I?"

Troy smiled as he lifted his hand to place it on her cheek. "You never know when you're going to meet someone and in that moment everything you know about the world seems to come undone."

Gabriella breath caught as she looked up into his eyes, "You have a funny way of wearing your heart on your sleeve. Anyone ever tell you that?"

Troy let out a soft chuckle. "Which is why I have to say what's on my mind, and I hope to god that this doesn't scare you away from me."

"And that is?" Gabriella said listening to the loud clashing sounds of her heart.

His smile grew as he looked at her face as if he was committing everything to memory."I know that this is going to take some time, and I don't want to rush." Troy said as he used his thumb to gently touch her cheek "but I think that this might work out like it should."

"Like what?"

"You know what I mean life has it's up and downs. One day you're on top of the world the next you wake up in the dirt and I've been though both enough to know that you don't get in the way of things like this."

"Like what?" she repeated.

"I love you," He said simply with a sigh.

"Troy," Gabriella looked up at him bringing her hand up gently to pull his down from her cheek. "I like you more than I want to admit." She said looking at him with a weak smile. "And that's terrifying."

"Then why do I feel like I'm not going to like what you're about to say." Troy said standing up a little straighter as his once smiling faith was dimming rapidly.

"Because you're not going to." she said with a shrug. "Truth is you've been in a relationship with one woman for eight years, the same woman who you're still trying to get over." Gabriella said looking down at his hands in hers between them. "I have a life style that's very different from what your use to and I have a past that not many people can forgive or forget."

Troy shifted his hands to take hold of hers, "My life is changing, not that I know where it's going, but I can't stress how much I want it to include you." Troy smiled as he gave her hands a little squeeze. "Besides I'm not asking you to marry me, I'm asking you to have a dinner with me and maybe see a movie."

Gabriella let an out giggle as well did Troy. "Well, when you put it that way." Gabriella said biting her lips a little. "Makes a girl feel really silly for assuming."

Troy lifted his fingers to bring her face up to him. "Anyone ever tell you, you look adorable when you feel Silly?"

A faint blush came to her cheeks and she could feel her pulse quicken. "Maybe we should get back to work?"

"Whatever you say," Troy said backing away from her leaving the cold in his place.


	24. Chapter 24

Gabriella stood leaning against the closet doorway as she held a finger to her lips, a small smile spreading even without intention. It was a new problem smiling like an idiot for no reason at all but it was a problem she wasn't going to complain about. The fear in her stomach rumbled and she felt a wave of terror rush over her. What if he couldn't get past her porn star past? What if didn't want to deal with her porn directing future? What if he wasn't attracted to her sexually? What if all the thoughts about her previous encounters were too much for him? What if he was rebounding or worst what if she gave into these feelings and fell for him the entire way, sleep with him and wake up to an empty bed?

"Red?" Evan said leaning back on the bed. "She's always looked great in red."

"We're aiming for irresistible." Sharpay said with a frown. "It's a first date, we want the wow factor!"

"Don't underestimate the power of a red low cut top." Evan said pointing a finger at Sharpay. "He's a man she's a woman … the wow factor is already there." he said with a chuckle.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Seriously?" Sharpay said looking back over at Gabriella to protest his very presence but stopping on baited breath. "Brie?"

"Earth to Gabriella?" Evan said waving his hand in front of her.

Gabriella snapped from the state of bliss to the present. "I don't know about the yellow top, I mean he won't even tell me where were going and I really don't want to stick out like a sore thumb." she said tugging at her shirt and looking at both of them with concern.

"Lucky for you while you were in Troy land, we moved on to Red or Blue?" Sharpay said pointing at the two new dresses laid out on the bed.

"Oh," Gabriella said.

"Someone has it bad." Evan said with a smirk. "My vote is red, your tits have always looked fabulous in that dress, and it will be even more fun to take off." Evan said with a wiggle of his brow. "Or hike up."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully. "You're such a pig."

Sharpay rolled her eyes, "I've said that how many times?" she looked at dresses on the bed. "Try on the blue one."

Evan shook his head, "Ladies I have places to be and woman to make shudder with delight." He said holding out his hands in a god like manner. "Brie, your glowing, trust me … Blue might make him stare… but Red… He'll never look away." He said with a smirk as he bent down to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks Evan." She said with a smile. "Thanks for coming."

"No problem," Evan made his way to the door and out of the bedroom. As he was walking towards the door it opened and Troy walked in carrying for bags of equipment and mail in his mouth. A sigh of annoyance escaped him. "How she picked you I'll never understand." He muttered and reached for the mail in Troy's mouth.

Troy jerked as he got a better grip on the tripod under his arm. "Thanks," Troy let out a sigh as he made his way to the coffee table where he put some of the equipment to rest. "What are you doing here?" he said looking back at Evan.

"I was called in to consult about wardrobe choices for this evening's festivities." He said placing the mail on a nearby side table. "Where are you taking our little bell of the ball?" he asked looking at his finger nails as wiping some dirt only visible to him from under a nail.

"It's a surprise." Troy said shaking his head. "It's going to stay that way." he smirked looking back down the hall toward Gabriella's bed room.

"Right," Evan chuckled a little and he let out a sigh, "Nervous?" he asked looking up at him and casually tucking his hands in the pockets of his tight jeans.

"A little," Troy said in honesty. Two weeks ago he asked her out on a date and she'd been playing a hard to get, in return he wasn't giving up. He'd asked out every day, sometimes being turned down or laughed at but as soon as he touch her or get close enough the affect of their attraction would work in his favor and a little bit of that stubborn wall chipped away.

"Good," Evan let out another laugh and gave him a nod, "Break a leg, break her heart and I'll literally break your leg."

Troy stiffened as he watched Evan move towards the doorway and then disappear into the evening pulling the door shut behind him. "Could he be anymore creepy," Troy muttered under his breath as he finished putting his things down.

Sharpay came out of the bedroom, and the sound a door clicking behind her assured him it had only been Sharpay who came out. "Hey," he said moving away from all the equipment in the living room.

"Hey," Sharpay gave him a once over, "What are you wearing to night?"

Troy held up his hands. "No, no, no," he said with a smile. "I can dress myself." He said with a smirk as he walked around her.

"Hey," Sharpay said touching his arm lightly. "I…" she hesitated. "I'm going over to Zeke's tonight, he's making me dinner so I won't be home later," she said with nodding her head way too cautiously. "Possibly not until mid day tomorrow like around 4-ish." She said with a suggestive tone.

Troy felt the embarrassment on his face. "It's a first date?" he said with a small smile. "I might not even like her?" he added with a teasing tone.

Sharpay punched him playfully. "Just make sure she has a good time, she won't admit it but she's a normal hopeless romantic like the rest of us." She said shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"Thanks for the heads up." he said resting a friendly hand on her shoulder. "I should go get ready,"

"Yes you should," Sharpay said looking him up and down, "Are you sure you don't need my help with wardrobe."

Troy let out a laugh. "I'm positive." He said with a wink.

Gabriella heard the front door shut behind Sharpay as she left. Gabriella let out a shaky breath as she doubled checked her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed her fingers fluttering with excitement as she anticipated the evening. A date. With. Troy. The red dress hugged her curves and flowed nicely at her hips. The red straps cross crossed over her shoulders in an intricate design and left the area of her cleavage bare and open to the admiring eye. She couldn't remember the last time she was nervous about her appearance. Then again she couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a actual date, with an actual man, not one of her business meetings or pretend dates with Evan. There was a knock on the door and Gabriella jerked their attention to the door.

"Gabriella?" Troy voice was low as he waited for a response on the other side of the door. The idea of not answering crossed her mind, of staying quite and letting the evening just pass, keeping things as they were, just friends, no complications, no first date that would change everything. "Don't chicken out on me now baby." His voice was low.

Gabriella let out a breath and came to the door but didn't open it. "You know if I open this door, it changes things between us?" she said, her voice husky and not recognizable. Her hand rest on the door, there was no response on other side.

Troy stood on the other side his heart racing as he rested a hand on the door. "And if you don't I'll stand here for the rest of my life until you do."

"Why would you do something that stupid?" Gabriella said her voice breaking a bit as she leaned her head on the door.

Troy closed his eyes "Because your worth it." he said as he rest his head on the door listening close for anything. "Because I've been waiting my entire life to find you. Why would I give up now?" Troy stained his ears to hear something anything but heard nothing and then in one rush the door pulled open and he came face to face with her. There was a shine to her entire presents, like the glow of a goddess. "You look beautiful."

Through slightly teary eyes Gabriella looked down at her red dress then back up at him and offered a playful shrug. "You don't look so bad yourself." she said with a smile.

"Thanks," Troy lips tugged in a smile and he offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Gabriella looked at his arm and took a deep breath before linking her arm in his. "Where are you taking me anyway?"

"It's a surprise." Troy patted her hand. "You'll see."

When the Taxi pulled up Gabriella got out with Troy's help. When she looked up she was greeted with the florescent closed sign in the window of Dan's Photo's.

"You brought me to your Studio?"

"Just give it a chance." Troy said with a amused expression.

"You have five minutes." Gabriella turned to look back at the cab as it began to drive off.

Troy hand wrapped around hers and he gave her a soft tug. "Don't be a diva."

Gabriella let out a huff as he pulled out his keys leading her in behind him. The front room was dark. "Troy this is a little creepy."

"Then stay close." he whispered behind him. The next thing she knew he was leading her up the stairs. Her breath was shaky as she held on to his hand. Biting down on her lower lip she tried to clear her head, to think of anything but the excitement coursing through her or fear making her sweat out her perfume.

"Ready?" Troy whispered.

Gabriella could hear the faint sound of music in the distance. "For what?" she asked as she pressed against his back.

Troy opened the door Gabriella didn't know was in front of them and cool breeze of evening air came across her face as she looked past him to the candle lit dinner table waiting under all the strands of twinkling lights. "Oh my god." Gabriella could feel her eyes tearing up as she looked around the romantic setting. "We're on the roof?"

"Under the stars," Troy said looking up at the sky with a small smile.

"This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me," she said walking further towards the table. The sounds of low music drifted light on the air, drums and flutes; closing her eyes she swayed a little as the music tickled her body almost pulling it into its spell. In that moment Troy hand took hers and she opened her eyes to look into the blue eyes staring back at her. Placing her other hand on his shoulder she let him pull her close. "Troy Bolton, I must say I am impressed." She said with a smile.

"Good," Troy said with sly grin. "I was counting on it."

"There's something different about you." she said with a raised brow. "Like someone cashed in at the confidence bank?"

"The right woman will do that for a man." Troy said pulling her a little closer as they swayed to the music.

"Just when I was falling for your low self-esteem quirks." She said with a laugh.

"Feel free to keep falling," He teased before dipping her.

Gabriella hand grabbed onto his shoulder more firmly as she looked up at him. There was a pinch inside her as their eyes met. Almost as if blue stillness in his eyes came over her and she could feel tension in muscles loosen. letting go she let out a laugh as she arched back closing her eyes and feeling the wind as he swooped her back up into his embrace.

"Aren't you happy you said yes?"

Gabriella opened her eyes and narrowed her glaze. "No reason to be smug about It." she said with a smile.

Troy let out a chuckle as he stopped moving and began guiding her to the table set for two.

"What are we eating?" Gabriella said looking around at the two place settings. There were plates already there covered and besides the table wine was chilling in a bucket of ice. A smile grew on her lips, she'd never had dinner on the roof, never danced on a roof that was for sure.

Troy smiled he lifted the cover from her place setting. "Simple italian-style spaghetti and meatballs." He said reaching to uncover his own plate. Putting the tray a side he looked back up at Gabriella who was staring at him. He smiled back and then pulled out her chair, "Something wrong?"

"No, Spaghetti is my favorite." She said taking her seat.

"I know, you've told me." Troy said with a small chuckle pushing her in.

"I know I just," Gabriella paused as she fiddled with the napkin. "I didn't expect that you would remember, most guys-"

"I'm not most guys." Troy said cutting her off as he reached for the wine and opened it to pour them both a glass.

Gabriella looked up at him with a grin. "No, you're not." Gabriella looked at her glass, "You're a really good guy Troy, you're going to make some woman very happy one day."

Troy raised a brow as he finished pouring his own glass and then placed the bottle back in the ice, "Why are you so dead set against this going anywhere, we're both having a good time, we're friends, and there's a consensual sexual attraction. Why do you think this isn't going to work so badly?"

Gabriella watched as he took his seat from her across the table. "Because it's a known fact that people who fuck other people for a living don't do well in relationships." Gabriella let out a sigh, "With the whole monogamous relationship thing, you know?"

Troy was quiet for a moment as he looked at his spaghetti. His own mind had circled around this conversation a time or two, wondering about how he would handle the idea that in this relationship sex would be meaningless. "I honest don't know how I feel." He said with a sigh, "I like you for who you are and that part of you is who you are." He added touching his fork.

"But can you handle that, knowing that every time I leave for work I'm getting on my back or on all fours so some random guy can fuck me with his huge cock in front of entire set and crew for three or four hours." She said leaning back still fiddling with her napkin. "Better yet, can you handle that that movie will be on the internet for millions of people to watch and get off to."

Troy stared at her as she avoided his eyes. "Are you trying to upset me?"

Her brown eyes met his. "I'm telling you now before it's too late."

"No you're deliberately sabotaging the evening." Troy said with a raised brow.

"Troy, you're a guy. The only thought on your mind tonight is if you're going to get some or not, and don't say that's not what you're thinking about, because it is." She said with an annoyed tone. "You wouldn't have gone through all this trouble if you hadn't planned on it." She said motioning around them.

"I went through the evening because I wanted to show you a little romance." Troy said with a grim expression. "Would you rather I take you to the McDonald's down the block?"

"You're a attracted to me because I'm a porn star and the polar opposite of your last girlfriend. You not love struck your porn struck, and I don't want this whole moving on thing to get blown out of portion. Guys like you don't marry girls like me."

"Guys like me?" Troy said with huff. "Everyone keeps throwing that in my face. Please enlighten me who exactly does a guy like me marry?"

"Girls like Angela." Gabriella said with a shrug.

"Well girls like Angela don't want to marry me, in fact the very idea of having my child is disgusting to girls like Angela." Troy stood up. "But you know what you're right, I don't think I can handle the idea of you running off and fucking other people all the time, I don't think I can handle the idea that the guy sitting across from me on the bus probably jerked off to a shot of you naked, I don't think I can handle this expectation you have of sex in general because the most daring sexually explicit thing I've ever done was fuck Nicki's brain's out on my desk!" Troy ended throwing his napkin to the side. "What I do know is that I'm willing to try, I'm willing to be open minded and for the first time in my life I'm beginning to like who I am as a person, and none of that would have happened without you."

"You're just changing who you are to be with me." Gabriella said in a low voice, "You changed everything about you to be with her and now you're changing for me, and when you meet someone else you'll do it again."

"What do want from me!" Troy said with frustrated tone.

"I want you to not be okay with me fucking other people." She said standing as well know so they were eye to eye. "I want you to be aggressive, I want you to take me because you want to take me, and never in a million years would have been okay with Angela fucking some random guy, and you lost it when you saw her with Rodney for Christ sake." Gabriella shook her head. "I want you to be a man about this and take charge because I don't want to be in a relationship were the man is a push over, where's the fun in that? I want you to want me in most raw sexual male reaction."

In two strides Troy's hands were on her and his lips were pressed against hers hard. Their bodies smashed together in a growing need to be one. He reached up to pull back on the mass of curls pulling her head up and back so he had access to her neck. His lips searing into skin her mouth agape as she let out a breath. Troy's other hand yanked down the front of her dress pushing her breast out and up above the fabric for him to touch. "I do want you." He said in low grumble. He took one of her nipples in his mouth and began to suck. A moan escaped from her lips as she arched her head back offering herself over to him.

In one swoop Troy lifted her from the ground and sat her up on the table pushing things aside his hands work feverishly to cover every inch of her at once. Troy's kiss on her lips was powerful, almost as if they had never touched before in their entire life. Gabriella's teeth pulled at his bottom lip and he groaned in reaction. "Troy," she whispered. Her hands worked at his zipper undoing the belt and button next to reach her hand inside his pants.

His eyes closed briefly and he rested his forehead against hers. "If you don't think I want you, you have to be crazy." He said as he felt her hand wrap around his erection. "All I think about is you,"

"When you touch me I feel alive." Gabriella said in hushed tone. "All I think about is you, your scent, your touch; I get turned on just thinking about thinking of you."

Troy let out a low laugh as he took another mouth full of her breast he enjoyed the shiver of her reaction, the way her nipples had pulled it to two tight buds he could wrap his tongue around. Pulling back he arched his head back. "I don't have a condom." He said with a sigh.

"I'm on a pill and I've been tested, you don't need one." She said pulling him out of his pants. "I don't want to feel anything but you."

"Fuck," Troy said looking down at her through hood eyes, "You going to make me cum if you keep talking like that."

"I want you to cum inside me." She responded with a smile was she reached forward to grab his bottom lip with her teeth.

His hands hitched up her dress, "I want you all to myself." He said pushing aside her thong so that he could have entrance. "I want you to be mine," he positioned himself so just the tip of his penis touched the outside of her lips.

"Then take me," She moaned arching her body more towards him and throwing her head back. "Please."

"Beg me," he responded, a smile on his lips. "We both know how much I want you, how much do you want me?"

Gabriella eyes narrowed as she up at him arching her back so her chest was out a little more. "At this point I'm going to cum, with or without you is the only question." She said using both her hands to stable herself on the table. "I want your big hard cock in me now." She hissed.

With one swift push he was inside her and they both let out a noise of pleasure and surprise. Her hands came up to his shoulders and he pulled out to push back in making her quiver.

His hands came up to grab her face again bringing his lips to met hers as he repeated to penetrate her over and over again, the soft grunts and gasps of them both clawing at each other rippled quietly on the wind slightly above the music. "Don't stop," Gabriella head now rested on his forehead as she leaned into him, closing her eyes as she felt herself open up to him. The cool night breeze on her nipples adding excitement to the situation, she'd never been this turned on before, never felt this urge to be please before. "Oh god Troy don't stop!"

His rhythm increased as he held her close to him feeling everything from the soft creamy touch of her skin under his fingers to the tight wetness of her vagina taking me deep, fast, and hard. He was lost inside her moaning her name, breathing her in, being surrounded by her. "Gabriella," he moaned again feeling her inside squeeze tightly around him with each trust. "Oh my god," he said bring her lips up to his to meet again.

His lips tasted salty and she gripped on to the back of his shirt as she held on to him afraid that if she didn't hold on to him strong enough he might move away from her. She didn't want distance, she wanted skin on skin and right now she was getting her hand through his hair and his shirt fisted into her hand. In one swift move me her hands reached down and pulled at his shirt popping buttons and sending two or three flying as she groaned in delight pressing her chest against his. Her body began to tremble as he pulled out and slammed back into her. Their body moving fiercely as they both built on the pleasure rising. "Troy, you're going to make me cum," she said in harsh whisper as she now had one complete arm around his neck.

"Fuck," he said through gritted teeth as he moved quicker feeling his own rise. Instantly he pulled her into a kiss, their lips smashed into each other and a moan stifled as they exploded in each other arms. It was chaos, neither one of them wanting to let go of the other, both riding the waves of ecstasy roaring through them.

Troy let out breath as he pulled out the rest of the way, feeling the cold air on his now bare chest. "You ripped my shirt." He said in shock as he looked down at it.

"I love ripping shirts," Gabriella said on with a smirk, as she pulled out the clips from her hair and let the curls tumble free down her back and over her shoulders.

"Nice to know," he said staring at her then down at her breast. "I absolutely love you breast," he said taking them both in his hands.

"I feel the same way about your penis." She said reaching down to lightly touch it.

"He's sensitive at the moment." Troy said jerking a little to her touch.

Gabriella turned to look back at her glass of wine to find it had been tipped over and then at the two plates pushed aside. "I spilled my wine," she turned back at him with a frown. "I'm sorry."

"No you're not." He said with grin as he gently lean in to kiss her lips.

"So about that movie," Gabriella said in a low voice as she pulled away a little from his lips. "How about we pop a movie in at home and watch it under the covers."

"Will we be naked?"

She nodded as she nipped at his lower lip again. "I wanna ride you like stallion."

Troy let out a groan as he let his shoulders slump in defeat. "As appealing as all that sounds, we can't ignore what going on." He said with a frown. "What are we going to do about this?"

"Do about what?" Gabriella said adjusting her top half of the dress.

"Us?" Troy said slipping a hand through her hair and wrapping his fingers in the waves of curls. "I want you to myself. I don't care about your past I care about now from here on out and the only bed I want you in is mine."

Gabriella smiled as she wiggled in delight against him. "I'm directing my first movie in a week," she said in low voice, "We're casting for my script soon, so I've actually retired from that side of business yesterday. We're making the announcement at the AVN's show next weekend."

"If you knew all this then why did you just-"

Gabriella cut him off with a kiss their tongues swirling around each other as she let out a low moan. When she pulled away she let out a sigh, "I wanted you to see if you would fight for me," she said with a smile. "A little persistence and aggression is attractive in a man."

"You know, if I recall the reason your last relationship didn't go to well was because someone tried to chain you down and change you." He said brushing some of her hair back behind her ear.

"And this time I'm making the changes and going after what I want." Gabriella looked down at his bare chest then up at him. "I just need to know that you're not going to run off on me because you can handle it." She said pulling at ends of his shirt.

They were both quite as he stared down into her brown eyes that looked up at him with vulnerability and fear. "You couldn't get rid of me if you tried." With a smile he shrugged his shoulders. "You had my attention from the first time I seen bite me on your ass."

Gabriella giggled as she pulled him in closer their lips hovering over each others. The mood shifted as her brown eyes looked up into his blue eyes. Neither of them said anything for a moment as they just sat there stunned by what they could see in each other. "I love you," she said breaking the silence.

"I love you" he bent the rest of the way placing a chaste kiss on her lips.


	25. Chapter 25

Gabriella sat up from the bed her hair falling to her side as she held the covers up over herself. With a smile she watched as Troy slept peaceful. His eyes shut softly as his chest rose and fell slowly. She never watched anyone sleep before. With a sigh she moved to get out of bed gently pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Oh no you don't," Troy arms snaked around her waist pulling her back into the bed and she let out a shriek.

"Oh my god I thought you were sleeping." She said with giggle.

"I was, I am." He said snuggling back as he held her close against him. "This is me going back to sleep." He said closing his eyes as letting out a sigh as he tugged her against him once more as if she were a pillow.

Gabriella giggled as she wiggled away from him. "Some of us are hungry," she said with a huff.

Troy shifted pulling Gabriella down and then rolling over her so he was on top. "Then I'll make pancakes." He said hovering over her. "But first," he said nuzzling his nose in between her neck so that he could lay a kiss there.

Gabriella smiled as she squirmed a little. "But first, what?" she said as she opened her legs allowing him to rest between them.

"You'll see," he said using his hands to pin her down.

Gabriella felt her insides stirring as she curled her legs over his. She could feel his erection above her stomach pressing against her as he continued to place soft kisses along her body. "Troy," she whispered as he took her breast in his mouth. She could feel him shifting positioning himself at her entrance and she moan softly as he entered slowly inside her forcing her to feel inch after inch of him. She wrapped her legs around him, bracing herself for speed but he pulled out even slower taking his time before he entered her again. "This is mean," she said in a rushed breath.

Troy smiled as he bent down to kiss her lips softly entering her again. She was so soft underneath him, her hair sprawled out over the pillows her soft breathing as he teased her. Pulling out and slowly going back in. She was wet, warm, and tight around him as he slowly moved in and out of her. Their breathing steady as their skin rubbed against each other. He felt her hands on his back her nails digging into him and felt her teeth nip at his shoulder.

Gabriella arched herself a little more so he could go deeper, the pressure was already building. Their bodies moved together his hands braced on either side of her as she felt the bed move slightly beneath them, "Oh my god Troy," she moaned as she closed her eyes arching more into the pillow. "Don't stop,"

Troy rocked into her gently coaxing her orgasm through, grinding against her as well as moving in and out. He watched in admiration as her lips parted and her eyes fluttered shut. Everything about her made him want her more, made him want to claim her as his and ensure that as long as they lived he would do anything and everything to make her happy. His lips came down over hers exploring her mouth, in one final trust both of them combusted against each other in cries of joy, spinning blissfully into a relaxing afterglow.

Gabriella smiled to herself as she settled in his arms as they sat up in the bed. "So about those pancakes?" she said biting her lip as she looked up at him.

Troy let out a deep laugh as he tossed his head back. "You want them now?"

"I think I earned it," Gabriella said with a smug expression, "Besides I was alright with the idea of eating cereal before you decided to wake up."

"Fine but-" he said moving to get off the bed.

"No buts." Gabriella said pointing a finger at him.

Troy smiled as he pulled up his boxers and then reached for her feet from under the covers. "You have to help make breakfast." Troy said tugging her down the bed as she squealed and giggled.

"Troy!" she laughed as pulled the covers higher.

Laughing he pulled her further down and began to yank the covers from her. "Come on."

Finally getting her off the bed he tossed her over his shoulder and began making his way to the kitchen. "I can't cook naked!" she exclaimed.

"That's what aprons are for." He said giving her bottom a little pat.

Four years later …

"We're here with the dynamic duo, Gabriella Montez, former porn star actress and Troy Bolton, who are quick and rising power players in the adult industry." The blond woman in a red halter topped smiled for the camera as she stood next to Troy and Gabriella. "Tell us a little bit about how you make it work running a company and managing marriage in the adult industry?"

Gabriella leaned into the mic. "We have lots of great sex!" She said with a smile waving to someone off camera. Troy let out a laugh as he gave her a small squeeze.

"We have a firm rule that we don't discuss work in the bedroom. It helps keep that part of our relationship to ourselves." Troy said looking down at Gabriella who was curling her other arm around his waist to be closer.

Flashing lights were everywhere as people called for their attention for pictures. "And what about all the awards you're up for? Best Video Feature, Best Selling Title of the Year, Best Screenplay—Film." The blonde said holding the microphone to Gabriella.

"I've never wanted a golden penis more." Gabriella said with a smile, "I mean lots of people went into the production and I think we had fun and were really able to bring more to the table then a great penetration shots and straining positions."

The blonde pulled the microphone back and let out a laugh. "Well I'll have you know that I masturbate at least once a week to Seven Proposals Later." She said with a laugh, "And let's not forget about your hunky hubby," she said looking back at the camera and winking. "Best Art Direction—Video, Best Cinematography, Best Videography, Best Editing—Film, what do you have to say to that?"

"It's been an entirely different world these past few years and I enjoyed every minute of it." He said with a shrug. "I honesty love my job, I have a wonder partner in life and I couldn't be happier."

"You two have a podcast radio show called The Cock Tale Hour? Why don't you explain a bit about that?" The blonde asked stepping aside a little to let a camera man get a shot of them.

Gabriella laughed as she swept a strand of hair to the side. "We actually came up with the idea just from talking with our friends I mean the concept of the show is that we get together with some of our friends and we talk about the porn star life behind the scenes and just kind of offer up that insight of sexuality."

"I bet you guys have some racy stories." The blonde playfully nudge Troy causing him to laugh.

"Actually Ryan Evans is the producer and one of the co-host, he's the man whore, he's way out there." Troy said placing a hand in his pocket. "I mean compared to him it's like I haven't even seen tits yet."

"He's around here somewhere with the lovely Emma," Gabriella said with a raised brow. "My best actress who is up for," Gabriella paused for effect. "Best female actress!"

Everyone chuckled and Troy and Gabriella stood part so the photographers could get pictures of Gabriella on her own. "So, enough about the career talk let get to the better stuff! Do you guys know if it's a boy or a girl?" The blonde asked Troy as he watched Gabriella pose.

"Oh man," Troy said with a smile as he pulled on his collar a bit, "She would kill me if I told." He joked as Gabriella came back towards him placing a hand on her small but obvious baby bump.

"I totally would, I want it to be a surprise," Gabriella said with a beaming smile. "Knowing the sex takes all the fun out of it." Gabriella said wrapping her arm back around Troy waist.

"What are you hoping for?" The blonde asked Troy.

"Uh," Troy shook his head as he looked down at Gabriella who was staring at him with a raised brow. "Kind of hoping for a boy, someone to play catch with, but if I get a girl I'll be thrilled just the same, especially if she's as strong willed and determined as her mother." He said rubbing Gabriella's shoulder a bit.

"You both are so lucky. Well, thanks for stopping by and chatting it up with me good luck in there." The blonde said waving as began to move down the carpet.

Gabriella blew a kiss to the camera as she turned back to Troy taking his hand and laughing at something he whispered in her ear. They couldn't ask for more.

The End.

Be on the lookout for Reborn

Coming to a… whatever you're reading this on soon.

Lmao


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